The Effect of Kinesio Taping Application for Dysmenorrhea

The Effect of Kinesio Taping Application for Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Dysmenorrhea is a common symptom in daily practice of gynecology. Different kind of treatment strategies are being held. But invasive and pharmacological therapies have good outcome with systemic side effects. Kinesio taping is being widely used in different pain conditions. Kinesio taping is a noninvasive and nonpharmacological, easy-to-use intervention method which can be used in outpatient practice without systemic side effects.

Dysmenorrhea is a kind of visceral pain that result of peritoneal irritation. It is so common in gynecological outpatient practice. Most of treatment is based pharmacological treatments as NSAIDs, oral contraceptives with many side effects. Kinesio taping is widely used for musculoskeletal parenchymal pain like sports related injuries. As in other complementary treatment methods like acupuncture and acupressure; pain carrying unmyelinated thin pain fibers are blocked by touch sensation carrying myelinated thick fibers which is stimulated by acupressure(gate control theory by Melzack), kinesio taping blocks the pain fibers that comes from same spinal level. So it can be used easily and instantly for dismenore

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dysmenorrhea

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy
• surgical abdominal emergency
• metabolic or inflammatory illnesses or cardiovascular diseases,
• endocrine disorders such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, androgen excess (hyperprolactinemia, uncontrolled thyroid disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing's syndrome, androgen-secreting tumor),
• smokers
• using pharmaceutical agents such as anti-inflammatory agents that could possibly impact on endocrine and liver enzymes
• musculoskeletal pain
• inguinal hernia