Can a massage at home ease painful sex? new study tests telehealth approach
NCT ID NCT07658703
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a pelvic floor massage technique (Thiele massage) can reduce pain during sex in women with chronic pelvic pain. It compares in-person treatment with guided self-massage at home via telehealth. The goal is to see if telehealth can be as effective as in-person care, potentially making treatment easier to access.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Thiele massage (a type of muscle massage for pelvic floor tension)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that telehealth physiotherapy is as effective as in-person care, making treatment more accessible and convenient for women with painful sex.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 72 participants, so results may not apply to all women. The treatment is a simple massage technique, not a cure, and benefits may vary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 72 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Women diagnosed with CPP and deep or shallow penetration dyspareunia; * Over 18 years of age; * Willingness to voluntarily participate in the study, accepting randomization to either of the two treatment arms; * Signature of the Free and Informed Consent Form (FICF). Exclusion Criteria: * Women with penetrative dyspareunia without pelvic floor muscle spasm; * Women without an active sex life
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Ribeirão Preto Clinical Hospital
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14048-900, Brazil