Myofascial pain syndrome in the pelvic floor: A common urological condition

Abstract

IntroductionMyofascial pain syndrome in the pelvic floor is a very common condition in urology, and it is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. ObjectivesTo present the prevalence of this syndrome to professionals of urology through a systematic literature review, and the possibilities for diagnosis and treatment. Materials and methodsWe performed a literature search in the Pubmed database using the terms “trigger points”, “myofascial pain”, “referred pain”, “infiltrations” and “physical therapy”, to which we added the term “pelvic floor”We then selected articles of interest in English, Spanish and French. ResultsWe discuss the most important aspects of the syndrome: anatomy, etiology, anatomical-clinical correlation, epidemiology, perpetuating factors, diagnosis, medical treatment, and physical therapy. ConclusionThis is the most common cause of pain in the pelvic floor and greatly affects patients’ quality of life. Nowadays we have diagnostic and therapeutic tools that allow us to treat this disabling syndrome with good results.