Pelvic Health Blog

What the research says: are healthy muscles supposed to hurt?

12/30/2015

Written by Michelle Dela Rosa, PT

A 2013 study by Kavvadias and colleagues assessed pelvic floor muscle tenderness in 17 asymptomatic female volunteers who have never been pregnant (mean age 21.5 years). Authors concluded that in women aged 18-30 who have never been pregnant, no lower urinary tract symptoms, and no history of low back or pelvic pain that tenderness “… should be considered an uncommon finding.”

Other studies like Montenegro et al. (2010) have also reported a low prevelance of pelvic muscle tenderness in healthy volunteers (4.2%), and Tu et al. reported a high prevalence of tenderness (75%) in women with chronic pelvic pain.

Kavvadias T, Pelikan S, Roth P, Baessler K, Schuessler B. Pelvic floor muscle tenderness in asymptomatic, nulliparous women: topographical distribution and reliability of a visual analogue scale. International Urogynecology Journal. 2013 Feb:24(2):281-6.

Montenegro M, Mateus-Vasconcelos E, Silva J, Nogueira A, Dos Reis F, Neto O. Importance of pelvic muscle tenderness evaluation in women with chronic pelvic pain. Pain Medicine. 2010 Feb:11(2):224-8.

Tu F, Holt J, Gonzales J, Fitzgerald C. Physical therapy evaluation of patients with chronic pelvic pain: a controlled study. American Journal of Obstetrics &Gynecology. 2008 Mar:198(3):272.e1–272.e7.

Did You Know: Quercetin

12/14/2015

Quercetin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, has been associated with a decrease in male pelvic pain in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Shoskes et al 1999). Subjects given Prosta-Q (quercetin + bromelain and papain for intestinal absorption) reported up to 82% improvement in pain – better than quercetin alone (Herati et al 2013).

Herati A, Moldwin R. Alternative therapies in the management of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. World J Urol. (2013) 31:761-6.

Shokes D, Zeitlin S, Shahed A, Rajfer J. Quercetin in men with category III chronic prostatitis: a preliminary prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Urology. 1999 Dec:54(6):960-3.

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What the research says: are healthy muscles supposed to hurt?

Did You Know: Quercetin

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