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

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

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

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.

Inclusion Criteria:

• participants in the study voluntarily.
• participants in ages between 18-25 years of age.
• participants have a sedentary lifestyle.
• participant's pain intensity of more than 40 mm during the menstrual period according to the VAS.

Exclusion Criteria:

• using regular drugs like NSAIDs
• presence of SD
• having an irregular menstrual cycle
• presence of chronic disease.