Evolution of pain threshold evaluated by means of electrical stimulation in patients with chronic pelvic pain: comparison with clinical response to treatment

• Grant number: 11/19761-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Francisco José Candido dos Reis
• Grantee: Ana Claudia dos Santos Seixas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a debilitating and highly prevalent disease, with great impact on quality of life and significant costs to health services. The CPP prevalence is estimated in 3.8% of women aged 15 to 73 years and 14 to 24% of women at reproductive age. The goal of treatment is not only treat the cause but to provide pain relief and to facilitate the patient activities of daily living, social and family life. Patients with CPP have lower experimental thresholds than healthy women, but the effect of pain therapy on such thresholds is not known. Purpose. Evaluate the behavior of experimental pain threshold in patients with CPP before and after treatment and determine the association between these thresholds with clinical pain intensity. Methods. Will be included women diagnosed with non-menstrual pelvic pain, lasting at least six months, intense enough to interfere with usual activities, requiring medical or surgical treatment. To collect the thresholds will be used a neuromuscular stimulator Dualpex 961 ® with a pulsed electric current fixed frequency at 50 Hz, with the basic pulse, biphasic square wave, symmetric and pulse duration of 200ms. The procedure is performed three times with 15 minutes of interval, the result is the average of obtained values. To assess pain intensity before and after treatment we will used the visual analogue scale (VAS) and McGill questionnaire. The psycho-affective component will be assessed with the Scale Hospital Anxiety and Depression.(AU)