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

Introduction: Myofascial pain syndrome in the pelvic floor is a very common condition in the urological field and is often ignored or misdiagnosed. Objectives: To present the prevalence of this syndrome to professionals of urology through a systematic review of existing literature and its potentials for diagnosis and treatment. Materials and methods: We performed a literature search through the database "Pubmed" using the terms "Trigger points", "myofascial pain", "referred pain", "infiltrations" and Physical therapy "physical therapy", to which we add the term "pelvic floor". Then, we select the works in English, Spanish and French that we might like. Results: We develop the highlights of the syndrome: anatomy, etiology, anatomical-clinical correlation, epidemiology, perpetuating factors, diagnosis, medical therapy and physiotherapy treatment. Conclusion: It is the most common cause of pain in the pelvic floor and greatly affects quality of life of patients. Nowadays, we have diagnostic and therapeutic tools that allow us to treat this disabling syndrome with good results. (C) 2009 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.