Discomfort In Women Research Articles

Effect of external breast prosthesis mass on bra strap loading and discomfort in women with a unilateral mastectomy

BackgroundA common complaint of women who wear external breast prostheses following mastectomy is that they are too heavy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of external breast prosthesis mass on bra strap loading, discomfort and perceived pressure in women with a unilateral mastectomy. MethodsPressures exerted at the bra strap-shoulder interface and ratings of discomfort and perceived pressure (visual analogue scales; 0–12 cm) were recorded for 17 women (mean 68 (SD 5.7) years) who had a unilateral mastectomy. Data were collected during standing and walking while the women wore a Lightweight prosthesis and Standard-weight prosthesis. Pressure, discomfort and perceived pressure between the two prosthesis conditions were compared using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks and the sum of the pressure values during walking and standing were correlated with discomfort and perceived pressure scores using Spearman's Rho tests. FindingsMean peak bra strap pressures were significantly less when the participants wore the Lightweight prosthesis compared to the Control prosthesis during walking (0.28 (SD 0.14) N/cm2 versus 0.35 (SD 0.20) N/cm2; P < 0.05) but not during standing. No significant main effect of prosthesis mass on the participants' ratings of discomfort or perceived pressure were found, which were highly variable. InterpretationReducing external breast prosthesis mass decreased mean peak bra strap pressures during walking but this was not accompanied with reductions in bra strap-shoulder discomfort or perceived pressure. Treatment strategies to decrease bra strap-shoulder interface loading due to external breast prostheses mass could assist women who complain of prosthesis heaviness during physical activity.

Late pregnancy as a factor of increasing womenaxiety

The article describes the results of research that analyzed late pregnancy and features of the psychological and em otional state of women during pregnancy after 35 years. The causes and factors that provoke some psychological discomfort in women with late pregnancy have been identified. Comparative psychological characteristics of normal and late pregnancies are given. The results of the comparative analysis according to the age criterion allowed to establish that anxiety, frustration and neurosis in the studied women depend on age. The obtained results made it possible to identify the above factors as certain key signals that affect the level of affectivity. According to the results of the method “Self-assessment of mental states,” it is shown that the dominant psychological state in women with late pregnancy was anxiety (55.4%), and almost a third of the group showed frustration (29.3%), while aggression (8.4%) and rigidity (6.9%) were very little. The “polarization” of the indicators “aggression” and “anxiety” is emphasized. Because almost half of women with normal pregnancies tend to be aggressive, while more than half of women over the age of 35 tend to be anxious. Also, women with late pregnancy have a high level of neuroticism (73.8%). In women with late pregnancy in most cases (27.8%) consider pregnancy as a way to maintain a relationship and keep a man married. In 21.4% of respondents found a very low readiness for motherhood and a high degree of anxiety, pessimism. The obtained results made it possible to identify the above factors as certain key signals that affect the level of affectivity. Women with late pregnancies are under considerable pressure of affective moods, anxiety and frustration. Most of them have a high level of neuroticism, anxious type of gestational dominance, experience extensive mental stress. Also, this group is three times more likely to suffer from neurotic manifestations, as evidenced by appropriate screenings of neurosis. These results indicate the need for psychological impact on women with late pregnancy, which aims to reduce anxiety and frustration, harmonization of the psycho-emotional state in general.

On Anne Firor Scott's Turf

On Anne Firor Scott's Turf Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore (bio) Historians who labor in a field often stake out a topic as their own turf. They fence it and defend it—sometimes in scathing reviews—from all trespassers who encroach bearing differing interpretations. Historian Anne Firor Scott understood these turf wars better than did most scholars. She also knew that, at the beginning of her career, the overwhelmingly male historical profession saw the history of women as peripheral to the landscape of U.S. history, a sort of untilled, patchy turf, one that could be mostly ignored, located down past even the lower forty. The complete neglect of women's history gave Scott some scrubby cover as she toiled in the 1960s on her first book, The Southern Lady: From Pedestal to Politics, 1830–1930 (1970).1 Even after its publication, some historians might have glanced at the title and assumed that their own turf remained secure. So barren was the field of women's history in 1970 that Scott could stake out a vast swath of space to write a century-long account of white women across the South. Historian A. Elizabeth Taylor's review of The Southern Lady in the Journal of Southern History noted a "dearth of period studies on southern women [w]ith the exception of Julia Cherry Spruill's excellent history of the colonial period" and "several accounts of women during the Civil War."2 Writing one definitive history of middle- and upper-class southern white women would have been an impossible task, but the title is, perhaps deliberately, misleading. Scott was not writing a history of all southern ladies; instead, her goal was to demolish the myth of the southern lady. In prescient ways, Scott dismantled that gendered stereotype to dismantle the existence of southern women's frailty, which historians had argued justified patriarchal protection, or to undermine prevailing accounts of Confederate women's universal willingness to sacrifice during the Civil War. Instead, Scott [End Page 123] Click for larger view View full resolution Anne Firor Scott, in 1992. Courtesy of Duke University Archives. [End Page 124] emphasized women's discontent with the slaveholding patriarchy and argued that the Civil War provided opportunities for liberation from it. She revealed that postbellum women's organizations brought women into the public sphere and were para-political. Certainly, her interpretation of the southern woman suffrage movement as an instrument for southern reform, rather than solely as a racist campaign to prevent the African American vote, countered standing interpretations.3 Most reviewers recognized and took up the broader implications of The Southern Lady, even if few—for example, A. Elizabeth Taylor—objected to Scott's "convey[ing] the impression that the cult of ladyhood might have been something of a brainwash to keep women submissive and that it was a barrier to their fulfillment as human beings." Taylor gently mourned the "decline in refinement and gentility."4 But Bell I. Wiley crafted a wily review that began by establishing "Mrs." Scott's bona fides, referring to her as someone "born and reared in Georgia, who received her doctoral training at Radcliffe under Oscar Handlin, and who is a successful wife, mother, and careerist." He then compared Scott's smashing of the southern lady cult to exploding the myth of the happy slave and approved of both.5 Scott proved, as George M. Fredrickson pointed out, women's "undercurrent of discontent with the patriarchal institutions of a slave-holding society."6 Gerda Lerner praised the book but gently noted its lack of race and class analysis.7 Scott's foremost goal was to make southern white women visible, not to have the last word. Her expansive and provocative work has proved incredibly generative in the almost half-century since its publication. Scott's long chronicle provided a through line to prove that the history of southern white women posed challenges to the accepted account of all of southern history, as well as to the modest outpouring on northeastern women's history, which generally dismissed southern women as an unimportant exception to the larger national narrative. Criticism that she had overemphasized white women's discomfort with slavery and the...

Evaluation and comparison of the effects of various cognitive-behavioral therapy methods on climacteric symptoms: A systematic review study

Objective:Climacteric syndrome, which is related to many symptoms, often causes discomfort in women. Non-pharmacologic treatment is one of the treatment options for affected individuals, and this syndrome can be cured with psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of various CBT methods on the improvement of climacteric symptoms.Material and Methods:PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Medline, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles published between January 1990 and August 2018. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two authors.Results:A total of 15 articles including 910 women were entered. We divided the CBT methods into two categories, face-to-face (individual and group CBT) and indirect (self-help CBT) methods. Among the three CBT approaches, three articles covered individual CBT, nine articles carried out group CBT, and in five articles, the self-help approach was used. The climacteric symptoms that improved with CBT were categorized into three groups as vasomotor symptoms, psychological symptoms, and organic disorders. Generally, the face-to-face method played a key positive effect on symptom improvement, and the group CBT approach was more effective on psychological symptoms.Conclusion:Although the indirect method is more cost-effective, it has less impact than the face-to-face method; it is better to use face-to-face approaches to achieve better results, if possible. Further studies are required in this regard, particularly in the individual and self-help CBT approaches, to measure the impact of these approaches on more varied symptoms of menopause.

Evaluation of the Association between Menstrual Cycle Irregularity and Dental Pain or Chewing Discomfort in Women before Menopause.

This study was performed to assess the relationship between menstrual irregularity and dental pain or chewing discomfort in women before menopause, using nationally representative data. This study analyzed 4595 participants who were ≥19 years or older, and did not have missing values for outcome variables from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Tooth pain was considered present if the participant felt throbbing discomfort, pain, or sensitivity when eating hot or cold food or drinking hot or cold beverages. Self-reported oral chewing discomfort was obtained. Adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for tooth pain in the individuals with menstrual cycle irregularity were 1.30 (1.05, 1.62) after adjustment for age, body mass index, drinking, smoking, income, exercise, stress, metabolic syndrome, and the frequency of tooth brushing. Adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for chewing discomfort in the individuals with menstrual cycle irregularity were 1.33 (1.03, 1.72) after adjustment. The association between menstrual irregularity and dental pain or chewing discomfort in women before menopause was proven—after adjusting for confounding factors—by multiple logistic regression analyses. Menstrual cycle irregularity may be considered a potential risk indicator for dental pain or chewing discomfort in Korean women before menopause.

Osteopathic Structural Findings in Women During Menstruation

Abstract Context: Menstruation, although a normal physiologic process, can result in cramping and discomfort in women. The symptomatology may manifest as musculoskeletal changes that can be identified and addressed to provide relief for suffering patients. Objective: To evaluate for common somatic dysfunctions and Chapman’s reflex points by performing full-body osteopathic structural exams (OSE) on women during menstruation compared to when they are not menstruating. Methods: Participants were menstruating, female faculty, staff and students recruited from Kansas City University. Data was gathered in the form of OSE findings from 2 intervals of menstruation and compared to data gathered from 2 intervals of non-menstruation. Each participant was evaluated at 4 visits: visit 1 during menstruation, visit 2 during non-menstruation, visit 3 during their subsequent cycle of menstruation, and visit 4 during their subsequent cycle of non-menstruation. At each visit, the participant was evaluated separately by the fellow and the physician. Results: Of the 32 potential participants, 23 completed the study. In this population, 23 participants (100%) had a lumbar somatic dysfunction during one menstrual cycle, with only 14 (60.9%) having a lumbar dysfunction during non-menstruation (P=0.004). Of the 5 posterior Chapman’s reflex points evaluated, 17 participants (73.9%) had at least 1 of the Chapman’s points with dysfunction during 1 menstruation cycle compared to only 10 participants (43.5%) during non-menstruation (P=0.039). Three participants (13%) were found to have a left-sided innominate dysfunction during 1 menstrual cycle compared to only 1 participant (4%) having a left-sided innominate dysfunction during non-menstruation (P&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusion: This study found 3 common areas of dysfunction in menstruating women that could be targeted by physicians for evaluation and treatment: the lumbar spine, the left innominate, and two posterior Chapman’s points. These findings aid in closing the gap from previously published data regarding the presence of somatic dysfunction in women during menstruation.

Эффективность применения противовоспалительного вагинального раствора Ибупрофена Изобутиламмония для уменьшения дискомфорта у женщин с невенерическим вагинитом.

Эффективность применения противовоспалительного вагинального раствора Ибупрофена Изобутиламмония для уменьшения дискомфорта у женщин с невенерическим вагинитом.

Evidence-based mixture containing Lactobacillus strains and lactoferrin to prevent recurrent bacterial vaginosis: a double blind, placebo controlled, randomised clinical trial.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discomfort in women. It is characterised by abnormal vaginal microbiota with a depletion of lactobacilli and predominance of anaerobic microorganisms, mainly Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae. Although antibiotics represent an effective therapeutic option in the short-term, recurrent infections still remain a serious problem. Nowadays, evidence exists about the efficacy of probiotics for the management of BV. The aim of the current double blind, randomised clinical trial was to assess the efficacy of a probiotic mixture, including Lactobacillus acidophilus GLA-14 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, in combination with bovine lactoferrin, as adjuvant therapy to metronidazole in women with recurrent BV. In particular, normalisation of Nugent score, remission of symptoms and recurrences during a six-months follow-up were assessed. 48 adult women received metronidazole (500 mg twice daily) for 7 days and randomly assigned to take simultaneously either probiotics plus lactoferrin or placebo (2 capsules/day for 5 days followed by 1 capsule/day for 10 consecutive days; induction phase). The verum or placebo administration (1 capsule/day for 10 consecutive days) was repeated each month (maintenance phase) during the six months of follow-up starting the first day of menstrual cycle since the menstrual blood increases the vaginal pH and contributes to increase the risk of recurrences. The results showed that symptoms (vaginal discharge and itching), Nugent score and recurrence rate were significantly improved by probiotics mixture in association with lactoferrin. This alternative approach may represent a safe and effective remedy for the restoration of healthy vaginal microbiota in preventing recurrent BV.

Significant improvement in cervical repair after surgery under the influence of specific anti-inflammatory therapy

The article describes the features of the management of patients with cervical dysplasia. After the surgical treatment of cervical neoplasia, patients experience abundant serous or serous bleeding from the genital tract, which leads to marked discomfort and secondary infection of the cervix. Secondary infection contributes to the prolongation of epithelialization of the cervix and the occurrence of a relapse of the disease.It emphasizes the importance of the prevention of postoperative symptoms that cause discomfort in women, secondary infection of the wound surface and prolongation of epithelialization of the cervix. These symptoms occur after trauma to the cervix due to an increase in prostaglandins, histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines.The study showed that benzydamine hydrochloride reduces the abundance and duration of postoperative secretions from the wound surface by suppressing tissue edema and inhibiting the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines – tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1, which leads to increased reparative processes of the cervix epithelium. Benzydamine hydrochloride reduces capillary permeability, stabilizes lysosomal membranes, inhibits the production of adenosine triphosphate and other high-energy compounds in the processes of oxidative phosphorylation, inhibits the synthesis or inactivate prostaglandins, histamine, bradykinin, cytokines, complement factors and other endogenous non-specific “damaging factors”. It blocks the interaction of bradykinin with tissue receptors, restores impaired microcirculation and reduces pain sensitivity in the focus of inflammation, also affects the thalamic pain sensitivity centers (local blockade of PgE1, PgE2 and PgF2 alpha synthesis). The analgesic effect is due from indirect decrease in the concentration of biogenic amines, which have algenic properties, and an increase in the pain sensitivity threshold of the receptor apparatus.Thus, benzydamine hydrochloride Tantum Rosa® is the only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent for topical use in gynecology, which provides rapid epithelialization of the cervix and elimination of pathological secretions due to the specific inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of reparative processes in the epithelium.

Men and Women Differ in Gastric Fluid Retention and Neural Activation after Consumption of Carbonated Beverages

The most commonly consumed carbonated beverages are soda and beer. Carbon dioxide increases gastric volume, which can lead to epigastric discomfort. Women are more susceptible to this; however, correlations with neural activity and gastric distention are unknown. This study sought to determine the subjective, gastric, and neural correlates of epigastric discomfort in men and women. Thirty-four healthy, normal-weight adults [17 women; mean ± SD body mass index (BMI; kg/m2): 22.3±1.9; 17 men; BMI: 22.8±1.8] participated in a randomized crossover study with 2 treatments: ingestion of 500 mL beer or soda. Before and after consumption, gastric content and brain activity were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants rated fullness, bloating, hunger, and nausea at baseline and at t=0, 10, 20, and 30 min together with gastric MRI. Brain activity [cerebral blood flow (CBF)] was measured at baseline and at t=5 and 35 min. Liquid, gas, and total gastric volume (TGV) were segmented from gastric MRI. Ratings and gastric content areas under the curve (AUCs) were tested with a mixed model with sex and drink as factors. For subjective ratings, only nausea in the beer condition scored significantly greater for women (9.4-point increase; P=0.045). Liquid stomach content was significantly greater for women (2525 mL × min increase; P=0.019). In both men and women, the strongest correlation for bloating was with TGV (r=0.45, P<0.01) and for nausea was with the liquid fraction AUC (r=0.45, P<0.01). CBF changes did not differ between the drinks. Men showed greater CBF than women in the left precentral and postcentral gyri at t=5 min. There are differences between sexes when it comes to appetite ratings, gastric fluid retention, and neural activation. Discomfort in women may be related to fluid rather than gas in the stomach, because they retain more fluid than men. Differences between men and women should be considered when studying digestion. This study was registered with the Dutch Trial Registry as NTR5418 (http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5418).

Outpatient cervical ripening: discomfort/pain during speculum and Foley catheter insertion

ObjectiveTo examine discomfort/pain associated with the Foley catheter insertion process and explore factors affecting discomfort/pain. DesignThis cohort study conducted in the context of larger randomised clinical trial comparing silicone and latex Foley catheters. SettingA tertiary hospital in Western Sydney. ParticipantsOutpatient pregnant women (eligible participants in the main study). InterventionsWe asked about the discomfort/pain expectations and experience during the digital vaginal examination and insertion of the speculum, insertion of the Foley catheter and while the catheter was in situ. MeasurementsWe used visual analog scale and a purposefully designed questionnaire to measure outcomes. FindingsWe found digital vaginal examination and speculum insertion (mean pain score = 4.6–4.7/10) to be significantly more uncomfortable than Foley catheter insertion (mean pain score = 3/10), while having the catheter in situ for a median of 14 h was mid-way in discomfort (mean pain score = 3.7/10). Only 12–13% of women experienced no discomfort during digital vaginal examination and speculum insertion, while about 40% experienced no discomfort during Foley catheter insertion. We identified no factors that influenced the experience of discomfort during speculum insertion. However, being overseas-born (odds ratio = 1.91, 95% = 1.10, 3.33) and experiencing discomfort during the speculum insertion (odds ratio = 8.15, 95% = 3.19, 20.79) increased the chance of discomfort on catheter insertion. Women's discomfort was not influenced by inserter designation or experience. Key conclusionsDigital vaginal examination and speculum insertion were moderately uncomfortable while insertion of a Foley catheter and having the catheter in situ for several hours were less uncomfortable procedures. Implications for practiceOnly 8% of insertions were rated as difficult by staff while 70% were rated easy. This, together with the fact that the inserter's level of experience had no influence on women's discomfort, are reassuring for midwives who wish to teach and learn this common procedure.

The effect of saddle nose width and cutout on saddle pressure distribution and perceived discomfort in women during ergometer cycling

The objectives were 1) to design and produce two novel unpadded bicycle saddles with a wide/medium width and partial nose cutout; 2) to investigate the responses on pressure distribution and perceived discomfort in female cyclists. For comparison, a standard saddle was also tested. Nineteen female cyclists pedaled on an ergometer cycle for 20 min with each saddle in a counterbalanced order. A pressure mat measured saddle interface pressure. Discomfort ratings were collected using a visual analogue scale. Total mean saddle pressure remained similar across saddles. The wide saddle increased anterior and decreased posterior mean saddle pressure as compared with the standard (p < .002) and the medium saddle (p < .001). Significantly increased ischial tuberosity discomfort was found for the novel saddles (p < .001), while crotch discomfort was not significantly different between saddles. The medium width saddle appeared to be the best compromise since increased crotch discomfort was avoided and saddle pressures were redistributed. Such design may be suggested as an alternative to traditional saddles for women reporting discomfort in the perineal region.

Characterization of pain resulting from perineal trauma in women with vaginal delivery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Perineal pain in the puerperium of women with perineal traumas can affect the quality of life and interfere with normal activities and physiological needs. In addition, many obstetric practitioners neglect this symptom and an incipient scientific production about the characterization of this pain is observed. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics of perineal pain in women with perineal traumas due to episiotomy and laceration, according to the Brazilian Version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, in a public maternity hospital in the interior of Bahia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 499 postpartum women who had a vaginal delivery and who presented with perineal pain associated with local traumas. RESULTS: The characterization of perineal pain was the same for both traumas, being described as “that jerk”, “boring” and “uncomfortable”. CONCLUSION: Perineal pain has considerable intensity and causes discomfort in women. Therefore, it is important that the episiotomy is performed in a restricted way and that the professionals seek to use techniques of perineal protection, as this will reduce the frequency of perineal pain and provide greater comfort to the woman in the immediate puerperium.

The healing cost: comfort and discomfort experiences of women undergoing brachytherapy

Objective: To describe the experiences of comfort and discomfort in women who underwent brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: Qualitative study carried out in 2013, based on Kolcaba comfort theory and conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight women who have completed treatment, at least, six months ago. Results: The following discomforts stood out: pain in the procedure and in the post-treatment effects, in the physical context; fear of the unknown and suffering; lack of a companion; stress due to embarrassment during treatment; low self-esteem; and post-therapy psychological trauma, in the psycho-spiritual context. Comfort measures consisted in dialogue with the professional, medication management and use of faith and spirituality. Conclusion: The results provide support for the practice of health professionals in relation to comfort and discomfort that deserve to be the target of intervention in terms of the assistance to women with cancer.

Randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of topical lidocaine gel and intrauterine lidocaine infusion for pain relief during saline contrast sonohysterography.

To evaluate the efficacy of topical lidocaine gel and intrauterine lidocaine infusion administered prior to saline contrast sonohysterography (SCSH) in reducing pain level during the procedure. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. We recruited 120 women scheduled to undergo SCSH and randomized them into one of three groups according to administration of gel and intrauterine infusion immediately prior to the procedure: (1) the 'lidocaine gel' group received 3 mL 2% lidocaine gel applied to the cervix and intrauterine infusion, using an infant feeding tube without balloon, of 5 mL normal saline; (2) the 'lidocaine infusion' group received 3 mL gel lubricant applied to the cervix and intrauterine infusion of 5 mL 2% lidocaine; (3) the placebo group received 3 mL gel lubricant applied to the cervix and intrauterine infusion of 5 mL normal saline. The tube was left in place for the SCSH procedure. The primary outcome measure was the overall pain level (on a scale of 0-100) reported by the women during the SCSH procedure. Women also rated their pain levels at various other time points and an observer assessed visible signs of the women's discomfort during the procedure, producing a distress score. There were no significant differences among the three groups in baseline characteristics, volume of saline solution infused, tenaculum use and duration and difficulty level of the SCSH procedure. The median (range) pain scores during normal saline infusion for the SCSH procedure were 0 (0-65) in the placebo group, 2.5 (0-80) in the lidocaine gel group, and 0 (0-70) in the lidocaine infusion group. The pain scores at other time points, the overall pain score and the distress score were also comparable for the three groups. No significant adverse events were reported. SCSH performed with an infant feeding tube without balloon is associated with very low pain levels. Topical lidocaine gel application and intrauterine lidocaine infusion do not further reduce pain levels during SCSH.

Taos of late 50: A review on postmenopausal oral discomfort in women

Menopause, the cessation of menses, is a normal physiologic event experienced by women. It is not an illness or a deficiency. After a woman's reproductive years, there is a 5- to 10-year period of menopause-related alterations in hormone patterns. These patterns terminate in a sharp decline of female hormone levels. The lack of ovarian estrogens appears to be associated with the onset of several postmenopausal diseases, most notably osteoporosis and heart disease. Oral discomfort has been reported as a complaint among postmenopausal women. It includes occurrences of pain, burning sensations, altered taste perception and dryness of the mouth. On this background this paper presents a review on the postmenopausal discomfort in women.

Complementary health approach to quality of&amp;nbsp;life in menopausal women: a community-based interventional study

BackgroundMenopause is the stage when the menstrual period permanently stops, and is a part of every woman’s life. It usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 60 years, and is associated with hormonal, physical, and psychological changes. Estrogen and progesterone levels play the biggest part in menopause. In this stage, the ovaries make less estrogen and progesterone. When the body produces less of these hormones, the parts of the body that depend on estrogen to keep them healthy will react and this often causes discomfort for women. This study tested the impact of a complementary health approach to quality of life in menopausal women.MethodsA community-based interventional study was conducted in selected areas in Kattankulathur Block, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India. A simple random sampling technique was used to select menopausal women for the study. Of 260 menopausal women identified, 130 were allocated to a study group and 130 to a control group. The study group underwent yoga training for 1.5 hours per day on 5 consecutive days. After the 5-day intensive yoga training program, the menopausal women practiced yoga daily at home for 35–40 minutes a day. Along with daily yoga practice, they underwent group yoga practice for 2 days a week under the supervision of one of the investigators until 18 weeks. The yoga training program consisted of Yogasanas, Pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation. The standardized World Health Organization QoL BREF scale was used to assess the women’s quality of life. We distributed an instruction manual on steps of selected yoga practice for the women’s self-reference at home after the 5 days of continuous yoga practice. A yoga practice diary was used to confirm regular performance of yoga. The women in the control group did not participate in the yoga program; however, on completion of the study, these women received intensive yoga training for 5 days.ResultsThere was an extremely high statistically significant difference (P=0.001) between the study group and the control group with regard to the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of quality of life after 6, 12, and 18 weeks of yoga therapy. The mean gain score was high in all the domains of quality of life in the study group at weeks 6, 12, and 18. The overall mean gain score in the study group was 31.58 versus 1.61 in the control group. The overall mean gain score difference was 29.97 in all domains of quality of life between the study group and the control group. In the study group, the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of quality of life were greatly improved by practicing yoga for 18 weeks. No adverse events were reported by the women after yoga practice.ConclusionQuality of life in menopausal women was greatly improved after 18 weeks of yoga practice. Women who regularly practice yoga find that they are able to enjoy menopause and experience the freedom, liberation, and energy that it brings. We conclude that yoga is an effective complementary health approach for improving quality of life in menopausal women.

AB0768 Aesthetic Discomfort in Women with Hand Osteorthritis Means NO Less than the Pain and Functional Impairment

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of pain in the hands after 40-45 years resulting in poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This reduction caused not only...

Aspects of emotional and physical discomfort in gynecologic examination: a study of Turkish women.

This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine physical and emotional discomforts experienced before and after a gynecologic examination by women who presented to the outpatient clinic of the gynecology and obstetrics department at a university hospital. The sample of study was composed of 248 women. Data were collected with a survey form developed by researchers. T-test and variance analysis were used in statistical analysis. Emotional discomfort before the examination was felt by 80.2% of the women, while 80.6% stated they felt emotional discomfort after the examination. Physical discomfort before the examination was experienced by 67.3% of the women, while 76.6% stated that they felt physical discomfort after the examination. The emotional discomfort mean score was 5.02 ± 3.24 before examination and 4.62 ± 3.23 after examination (P > 0.05). The physical discomfort mean score was 3.38 ± 3.12 before examination and 3.94 ± 3.02 after examination and the difference between mean scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The women felt more physical discomfort during the examination than they anticipated beforehand. The emotional discomfort in women who preferred a female physician was significantly higher than in those who preferred a male physician or who had no preference on the sex of their physician.

Prior hysterectomy and discomfort during colonoscopy: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Discomfort during colonoscopy may affect acceptability of the procedure. The study aim was to determine factors, including prior hysterectomy and gender, associated with higher levels of patient discomfort during colonoscopy to help with procedural planning such as choice of instrument and sedation. A retrospective cohort study of colonoscopies (n = 1098) performed between February 2007 and March 2012 at the Tees Bowel Cancer Screening Centre within the English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP). Determinants of moderate/severe discomfort assessed using the Gloucester Scale were explored, using logistic regression with a range of participant and procedural variables. Rates of moderate/severe discomfort varied significantly among men, women without hysterectomy, and women with hysterectomy (5.8 %, 10.4 %, and 17.8 %, respectively; P < 0.001). In an unadjusted model, women with hysterectomy were significantly more likely to experience moderate/severe discomfort than those without (odds ratio [OR]1.87, 95 % confidence interval [95 %CI] 1.05 - 3.32, P = 0.005). The very strong influence of sedation on discomfort level precluded an adjusted model. In subgroup analysis of participants receiving sedation, adjusted comparison again showed increased odds for moderate/severe discomfort for women with hysterectomy, compared with women without (OR 1.70, 95 %CI 1.03 - 2.80, P = 0.036). Prior hysterectomy is associated with greater levels of moderate/severe discomfort in women undergoing colonoscopy. Minimizing participant discomfort is desirable in any screening or surveillance program. This should be considered in preprocedural counseling and in selecting equipment, sedation, and analgesia. Further studies should examine methods to minimize discomfort in those with prior hysterectomy.