The Effect of Relaxation and Stretching Exercises on Pain and Quality of Life in Women With Primary Dysmenorrhea
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The study aimed to examine the effect of stretching and relaxation exercises on pain and quality of life in women with primary dysmenorrhea.
Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
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N/A |
Detailed Description
While dysmenorrhea is a frequent gynecologic condition that affects women of reproductive age, young women are generally unaware of it. Dysmenorrhea is divided into two main types based on its pathophysiology:
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Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), is menstrual discomfort coupled with regular ovulatory cycles and a defined physiological explanation. Adolescents and young adults are the most affected.
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Secondary dysmenorrhea (SD), is defined as menstruation discomfort caused by a disease (endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, pelvic adhesions, endometrial polyps, pelvic inflammatory disease) or the use of an intrauterine contraceptive device.
Dysmenorrhea is a type of persistent, cyclic pelvic pain that can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, exhaustion, back pain, and dizziness. In studies conducted on university students in Turkey in 2009 and 2010, 87.7% and 72.7% (respectively) of the students reported that they had pain during the menstrual period.
The release of prostaglandins into the uterine tissue is assumed to be the cause of dysmenorrhea. As a result, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the usual first-line treatment for dysmenorrhea. Oral contraceptives, acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, and vitamin B1 are among the additional treatments that have been suggested.
It has been suggested that exercise can help with dysmenorrhea. Physical exercise has been suggested as a medical treatment for the treatment of dysmenorrhea and related symptoms by several writers. Billig was one of the first to advocate for exercise as a treatment for dysmenorrhea; he devised a set of stretching exercises and found a reduction in dysmenorrheic symptoms.
H1: There is a significant difference in pain and quality of life in the group with stretching and relaxation exercises compared to the group with stretching exercises.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
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Experimental: The Experimental Group The experimental group will be given both stretching and relaxation exercises. Among the stretching exercises, iliopsoas, adductor, and hamstring stretches will be taught. Deep breathing exercises will be taught as relaxation exercises. Participants will repeat the stretches 3 times a week with 3 repetitions of each stretch for 20 seconds. |
Other: Stretching
Among the stretching exercises, iliopsoas, adductor, and hamstring stretches will be taught. Participants will repeat the stretches 3 times a week with 3 repetitions of each stretch for 20 seconds. The exercises will be done online by the physiotherapist.
The experimental group will be given both stretching and relaxation exercises. The Control group will be given only stretching exercises.
Other: Relaxation
Diaphragmatic breathing will be taught as a relaxation exercise. The experimental group will be given both stretching and relaxation exercises. The Control group will be given only stretching exercises.
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Active Comparator: The Control group The Control group will be given only stretching exercises. Among the stretching exercises, iliopsoas, adductor, and hamstring stretches will be taught. Participants will repeat the stretches 3 times a week with 3 repetitions of each stretch for 20 seconds. |
Other: Stretching
Among the stretching exercises, iliopsoas, adductor, and hamstring stretches will be taught. Participants will repeat the stretches 3 times a week with 3 repetitions of each stretch for 20 seconds. The exercises will be done online by the physiotherapist.
The experimental group will be given both stretching and relaxation exercises. The Control group will be given only stretching exercises.
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Visual Analogue Scale [4 weeks]
Participants will be evaluated their menstrual pain levels on the Visual Analogue Scale between 0 and 10.
- The Menstruation Symptom Questionnaire [4 weeks]
Participants will rate their menstrual distress using the Menstrual Symptom Scale. The minimum score on this scale is 22, while the maximum score is 110. We can see that the lower the score in the questionnaire, the fewer problems the person has during the menstrual period.
- Short Form 12 Health Survey [4 weeks]
Participants will be evaluated their health-related quality of life using the Short Form 12 Health Survey. It is seen that the higher the score in the questionnaire, the higher the quality of life of the person.
- Measurement with Algometer [4 weeks]
Algometer measures the pain threshold, and in the study, it will be checked whether the pain thresholds changed with the exercises performed by the participants.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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participants in the study voluntarily.
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participants in ages between 18-25 years of age.
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participants have a sedentary lifestyle.
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participant's pain intensity of more than 40 mm during the menstrual period according to the VAS.
Exclusion Criteria:
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using regular drugs like NSAIDs
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presence of SD
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having an irregular menstrual cycle
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presence of chronic disease.
Contacts and Locations
Locations
Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
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1 | Yeditepe University | Istanbul | Ataşehir/İstanbul | Turkey | 34755 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Yeditepe University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Pelin Zöhre, Pt, Yeditepe University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Additional Information:
Publications
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 760: Dysmenorrhea and Endometriosis in the Adolescent. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Dec;132(6):e249-e258. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002978.
- Ameade EPK, Amalba A, Mohammed BS. Prevalence of dysmenorrhea among University students in Northern Ghana; its impact and management strategies. BMC Womens Health. 2018 Feb 13;18(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0532-1.
- Bernardi M, Lazzeri L, Perelli F, Reis FM, Petraglia F. Dysmenorrhea and related disorders. F1000Res. 2017 Sep 5;6:1645. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.11682.1. eCollection 2017.
- Burnett M, Lemyre M. No. 345-Primary Dysmenorrhea Consensus Guideline. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2017 Jul;39(7):585-595. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2016.12.023.
- Dorn LD, Negriff S, Huang B, Pabst S, Hillman J, Braverman P, Susman EJ. Menstrual symptoms in adolescent girls: association with smoking, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. J Adolesc Health. 2009 Mar;44(3):237-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.07.018. Epub 2008 Oct 29.
- Doty E, Attaran M. Managing primary dysmenorrhea. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2006 Oct;19(5):341-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2006.06.005. No abstract available.
- Ferries-Rowe E, Corey E, Archer JS. Primary Dysmenorrhea: Diagnosis and Therapy. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Nov;136(5):1047-1058. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004096.
- French L. Dysmenorrhea in adolescents: diagnosis and treatment. Paediatr Drugs. 2008;10(1):1-7. doi: 10.2165/00148581-200810010-00001.
- Granot M, Yarnitsky D, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Granovsky Y, Peer E, Zimmer EZ. Pain perception in women with dysmenorrhea. Obstet Gynecol. 2001 Sep;98(3):407-11. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(01)01465-x.
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- Lopez-Liria R, Torres-Alamo L, Vega-Ramirez FA, Garcia-Luengo AV, Aguilar-Parra JM, Trigueros-Ramos R, Rocamora-Perez P. Efficacy of Physiotherapy Treatment in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 23;18(15):7832. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18157832.
- Marjoribanks J, Ayeleke RO, Farquhar C, Proctor M. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Jul 30;2015(7):CD001751. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001751.pub3.
- Morrow C, Naumburg EH. Dysmenorrhea. Prim Care. 2009 Mar;36(1):19-32, vii. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2008.10.004.
- Pattanittum P, Kunyanone N, Brown J, Sangkomkamhang US, Barnes J, Seyfoddin V, Marjoribanks J. Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 22;3(3):CD002124. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002124.pub2.
- Petruzzello SJ, Landers DM, Hatfield BD, Kubitz KA, Salazar W. A meta-analysis on the anxiety-reducing effects of acute and chronic exercise. Outcomes and mechanisms. Sports Med. 1991 Mar;11(3):143-82. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199111030-00002.
- Proctor M, Farquhar C. Diagnosis and management of dysmenorrhoea. BMJ. 2006 May 13;332(7550):1134-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.332.7550.1134. No abstract available.
- Ryan SA. The Treatment of Dysmenorrhea. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2017 Apr;64(2):331-342. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2016.11.004.
- Tu CH, Niddam DM, Chao HT, Chen LF, Chen YS, Wu YT, Yeh TC, Lirng JF, Hsieh JC. Brain morphological changes associated with cyclic menstrual pain. Pain. 2010 Sep;150(3):462-468. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.05.026.
- Xu K, Chen L, Fu L, Xu S, Fan H, Gao Q, Xu Y, Wang W. Stressful Parental-Bonding Exaggerates the Functional and Emotional Disturbances of Primary Dysmenorrhea. Int J Behav Med. 2016 Aug;23(4):458-63. doi: 10.1007/s12529-015-9504-0.
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