Treatments for Levator Ani Syndrome

Levator ani syndrome (LAS) is characterized by chronic or recurring episodes of rectal pain or aching in patients with normal structural examinations of the rectum and pelvic floor. Patients with these findings are considered “highly likely” to have LAS if they experience tenderness on palpation of the levator muscles or to have “possible” LAS if they do not experience tenderness.

To compare the effectiveness of common therapies for this difficult-to-treat syndrome, investigators conducted a prospective trial in which 157 patients with highly likely or possible LAS diagnoses received nine sessions involving psychological counseling and were randomized to one of three treatment options: biofeedback to teach pelvic relaxation (using the protoc…