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Finding
Finding
improvement
In all patients with chronic proctalgia (pooled highly likely and possible LAS), biofeedback achieved adequate pain relief in 59.6% at 1 month compared to 32.7% for EGS and 28.3% for massage, with biofeedback significantly superior to both at all follow-up points.
| Effect size | 59.6% biofeedback vs 32.7% EGS vs 28.3% massage |
| Follow-up | 1 month |
| Comparator | Electrogalvanic stimulation (9 sessions, 3x/week) and digital massage (9 sessions, 3x/week) with equivalent counseling in all arms |
| Effect summary | improvement; 59.6% biofeedback vs 32.7% EGS vs 28.3% massage |
| Effect modifiers | [{"modifier": "Diagnostic certainty (highly likely vs possible LAS based on levator tenderness)", "interaction_p": "", "direction": "amplifies", "stratum_details": "Highly likely LAS: 87.1% adequate relief with biofeedback. Possible LAS: no treatment showed significant benefit.", "plain_language": "Biofeedback only works well if you have tenderness when the doctor presses on the pelvic floor muscles during a rectal exam. Without that tenderness, none of the treatments helped.", "annotation_notes": "This is the most important modifier in the study. The Rome II distinction between 'highly likely' (tenderness on palpation) and 'possible' (no tenderness) LAS completely determines treatment response."}] |
Connected entities
Interventions
Conditions
Source
PMC2847007
Biofeedback is superior to electrogalvanic stimulation and massage for treatment of levator ani syndrome