To determine the efficacy of intravaginal diazepam for the treatment of pelvic pain associated with pelvic floor hypertonic disorder.
Women who are asked to participate will already be receiving a standard conservative therapy consisting of a psyllium-based bowel regimen, heat therapy, pelvic stretching exercises, and Kegel exercises. Participants will randomly be assigned by a computer-derived random number sequence (after pregnancy is ruled out) to either the treatment group (intravaginal diazepam) or the placebo group Investigators and patients will be blinded to group assignment. The placebo or diazepam tablet will be distributed to the participant in the examining room on the day of allocation. The participant will be instructed to insert the diazepam or placebo tablet into her vagina at home. The treatment group will insert the diazepam 10 mg vaginal tablet 1-2 times daily as needed in addition to the standard conservative therapy. The placebo group will receive the standard conservative therapy, and an intravaginal tablet (visually indistinguishable from diazepam) commercially produced by the university pharmacy. After 4 weeks, patients from either group will have the option of enrolling into a standard routine program (not research) of comprehensive pelvic floor rehabilitation therapy. The Visual Analog Pain Scale, Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire and Global Response Assessment will be completed by the participant at the initial visit, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks. Participants will be given the option of choosing one or more methods for returning questionnaires: electronic mail, self-addressed home envelope, or telephone call.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
50
Missouri Center for Female Continence and Advanced Pelvic Surgery, University of Missouri Health System
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Pain
Ten centimeter (100 mm) linear pain scale where patients mark their self-perceived level of pain on a paper with a 10 cm line indicating that the 0 cm position indicates no pain and the 10 cm position indicates the worst pain imaginable. The score is measured as the distance between the zero position and the patient's mark is measured in cm to the nearest mm. A higher score indicates a worse outcome. The change in pain score is calculated by from the value at baseline minus the value at 4 weeks. Potential range is -100 to 100, with a higher value indicating a better outcome.
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) Questionnaire Score at 4 Weeks.
The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 is both a symptom inventory and a measure of the degree of bother and distress (quality-of-life) caused by pelvic floor symptoms. Includes 20 questions and 3 scales. Each of the 3 scales is scored from a minimum score of 0 (least distress) to a maximum of 100 (greatest distress), thus a higher score indicates a poorer outcome. The scores from each of the 3 scales are added together to give a summary score (range 0 to 300). The PFDI-20 questionnaire was administered at baseline and at 4 weeks of treatment. The outcome was the score at 4 weeks of treatment.
Time frame: 4 weeks
McGill Pain Questionnaire Score (PRI) at 4 Weeks
The McGilll pain questionnaire is a validated instrument that assigns quantitative value to qualitative descriptions of chosen by the patient. The minimum pain score is 0 (would not be seen in a person with true pain) and the maximum pain score: 78. The higher the pain score the greater the pain and the poorer the outcome. measured at 4 weeks.
Time frame: 4 weeks
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