OBJECTIVE: To prove the benefits of pelvic floor muscle training with biofeedback (BFB) as a complementary treatment in women with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). METHOD(S): Prospective, randomized study in 123 women with BPS/IC. Groups: BFB+ (n = 48): women with oral drug treatment (perphenazine and amitriptyline) plus intravesical instillations (sodium hyaluronate) plus pelvic floor muscle training with BFB; BFB- (n = 75): women with oral drug treatment plus intravesical instillations. Variables: age, body mass index (BMI), time of follow-up, length of disease, time free of disease, diseases and health conditions concomitant, and responses to the SF-36 health-related quality of life questionnaire at the first consultation (SF-36 pre-treatment), and at the end of the study (SF-36 post-treatment). The treatment was considered successful when the SF-36 score reached values equal to or greater than 80 points or when the initial value increased by 30 or more points. RESULT(S): Mean age was 51.62 years old (23 to 82). BMI was higher in BFB-. The mean length of BPS/IC condition was 4.92 years (1 to 20), shorter in BFB+ than in BFB-. Mean SF-36 score pre-treatment was 45.92 points (40 to 58), lower in BFB+ than in BFB-. Post-treatment SF-36 score was higher than pre-treatment SF-36 score both in BFB+ and BFB-. SF-36 values were higher in BFB+ compared to BFB- over the follow-up. CONCLUSION(S): BFB improves quality of life in women with BPS/IC as adjunct therapy to combined oral and intravesical treatment.

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