Safety and effectiveness of an internal pelvic myofascial trigger point wand for urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Objectives: Pelvic muscle tenderness occurs often in patients with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome; symptoms frequently can be reduced with pelvic myofascial physical therapy. This open-label pilot study evaluated the safety of a personal wand that enables patient's self-treatment of internal myofascial trigger points in the pelvic floor and its effect in reducing pelvic muscle tenderness.

Methods: A specially designed curved wand served as an extended finger to locate and release painful internal myofascial trigger points; an integrated algometer monitors and guides appropriate applied point pressure.

6-day intensive treatment protocol for refractory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome using myofascial release and paradoxical relaxation training.

Purpose: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome continues to elude conventional therapy. Evidence supports the concept that phenotypes of pelvic muscular tenderness and psychosocial distress respond to myofascial trigger point release and specific relaxation training. This case series reports long-term outcomes of a 6-day intensive combination of such therapies in refractory cases.

Painful myofascial trigger points and pain sites in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Purpose: A combination of manual physiotherapy and specific relaxation training effectively treats patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. However, little information exists on myofascial trigger points and specific chronic pelvic pain symptoms. We documented relationships between trigger point sites and pain symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Interim analysis of a prospective phase I/II trial of SBRT for liver metastases.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a potent means of systemic cytoreductive therapy for selected patients with metastatic cancer. We here report an interim analysis of a prospective Phase I/II study of SBRT for liver metastases. Eligible patients with liver metastases met these criteria: (1) maximum tumor diameter < 6 cm; (2) < or =3 discrete lesions; (3) treatment planning confirmed > or = 700 cm3 of normal liver receives < or =15 Gy.

Sexual dysfunction in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: improvement after trigger point release and paradoxical relaxation training.

Purpose: The impact of chronic pelvic pain syndrome on sexual function in men is underestimated. We quantified sexual dysfunction (ejaculatory pain, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory difficulties) in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome and assessed the effects of pelvic muscle trigger point release concomitant with paradoxical relaxation training.

Materials And Methods: We treated 146 men with a mean age of 42 years who had had refractory chronic pelvic pain syndrome for at least 1 month with trigger point release/paradoxical relaxation training to release trigger points in the pelvic floor musculature.

Integration of myofascial trigger point release and paradoxical relaxation training treatment of chronic pelvic pain in men.

Purpose: A perspective on the neurobehavioral component of the etiology of chronic prostatitis (CP) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is emerging. We evaluated a new approach to the treatment of CP/CPPS with the Stanford developed protocol using myofascial trigger point assessment and release therapy (MFRT) in conjunction with paradoxical relaxation therapy (PRT).

Materials And Methods: A total of 138 men with CP/CPPS refractory to traditional therapy were treated for at least 1 month with the MFRT/PRT protocol by a team comprising a urologist, physiotherapist and psychologist.

Sonographic measurement of diaphragmatic displacement during tidal breathing manoeuvres - a reliability study.

The aim of this investigation was to establish a reliable method of measuring diaphragm movement during relaxed tidal breathing. This study follows a previous study in which test-retest reliability was established for maximal breaths but not for tidal breaths (Blaney and Sawyer 1997). Twelve normal subjects were tested in a semi-reclined long sitting position.