NCT05960695

The Effect of Relaxation and Stretching Exercises on Pain and Quality of Life in Women With Primary Dysmenorrhea

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (actual)
• Sponsor: Yeditepe University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 25 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The study aimed to examine the effect of stretching and relaxation exercises on pain and quality of life in women with primary dysmenorrhea.

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: * Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), is menstrual discomfort coupled with regular ovulatory cycles and a defined physiological explanation. Adolescents and young adults are the most affected. * 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.

Conditions

• Primary Dysmenorrhea

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-05-30
• Primary completion: 2023-07-20
• Completion: 2023-08-30
• First posted: 2023-07-27
• Last updated: 2025-09-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)