(133) SELF-REPORTED EFFICACY OF PELVIC FLOOR PHYSICAL THERAPY AS A TREATMENT FOR PUDENDAL NEURALGIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Pudendal neuralgia (PN) is a devastating sexual pain disorder characterized as pain of the genital and/or perineal regions and is often due to injury, irritation, or entrapment of the pudendal nerve. Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is a recommended treatment for PN despite the lack of clinical evidence supporting its use. Objective We aimed to understand the efficacy of PFPT for treating PN by evaluating self-reported efficacy from PN patients. Methods An online survey was conducted on PN patients who had participated in PFPT as a treatment for PN. Participants were asked to evaluate the efficacy of PFPT specifically regarding its effects on PN symptoms using a seven-point Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale: 1=very much worse, 2=much worse, 3=minimally worse, 4=no change, 5=minimally improved, 6=much improved, 7=very much improved. If lasting symptom improvement was achieved, participants were asked how many sessions before they first noticed an improvement in symptoms. Results The average PGIC score among participants was 4.6 ± 1.3 (n=144), indicating no to minimal improvement in symptoms. Twelve percent of participants scored 3 or lower, indicating worsening of symptoms, and only 22% scored 6 or 7, indicating much or very much improvement of symptoms. For those who had symptom improvement, 14.6% of participants reported improvement after only one PFPT session, and five was the median number of sessions before first noticing improvement. Conclusions PFPT is a minimally effective, and sometimes harmful, treatment for pudendal neuralgia. Better transparency should be provided to patients regarding PFPT’s lack of efficacy and potential harm for treating PN symptoms. Disclosure No.