Management Of Menstrual Pain Research Articles

Evaluation of a group based cognitive behavioural therapy programme for menstrual pain management in young women with intellectual disabilities: a mixed methods matched controlled clinical trial

Evaluation of a group based cognitive behavioural therapy programme for menstrual pain management in young women with intellectual disabilities: a mixed methods matched controlled clinical trial

Dysmenorrhoea: Pain relief strategies among a cohort of undergraduates in Nigeria

Background : Most women experience some pain during menstruation. This pain most times affects their normal daily activity and quality of life depending on its duration and severity. There are various strategies used in menstrual pain management which differ with individuals. Aim : This study investigates various management options of dysmenorrhoea among female undergraduates in Nigeria. Methods : A total of 285 questionnaires were distributed in four faculties using purposive and convenience sampling. The response rate was 86%. The returned 245 questionnaires were analysed using frequency tables and chisquare analysis. Results : Findings indicated that the average age of the respondents was 22 years and most (70.6%) of the respondents experienced moderate or severe pain during menstruation. A null hypothesis tested at significant level of 0.05 suggested that relationship between age and pain intensity is not significant. Most (51%) of the respondents reported that dysmenorrhoea limits their activities. Conclusion : The various strategies adopted by the females are drugs, relaxation/rest, warm bath, exercise, diet modification and herbal remedies but the most effective are drugs, warm bath, rest and exercise. The most widely used strategies of pain relief were drugs, exercise, warm bath and rest. It was recommended that, both health workers and women should adopt a multidisciplinary approach in managing dysmenorrhoea. This is because respondents combine various methods to achieve results. Key words : Dysmenorrhoea, relief, female, age, Nigeria, undergraduates

A Randomized Trial Comparing the VIPON Tampon and Ibuprofen for Dysmenorrhea Pain Relief

This study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a device designed to deliver high-frequency vibratory stimulation through direct intravaginal tampon application (VIPON) compared with a low-dose over-the-counter pharmacologic treatment of dysmenorrhea. A randomized, open-label, prospective study comparing the investigational device to an oral self-administration of the over-the-counter dose of 200-400 mg of ibuprofen with the onset of menstrual discomfort was conducted at two academic medical centers in the Midwest region of the United States. Women age 18 and older with self-reported dysmenorrhea were treated with either VIPON or a single dose of 200-400 mg of ibuprofen, randomized for each of the next four menstrual cycles, and pain reduction from baseline was measured according to the Melzack-McGill pain scale. Overall, both ibuprofen and VIPON have significant effects on pain reduction according to the Melzack-McGill pain scale. However, the VIPON group achieved statistically significant greater, and more rapid, pain relief at every time point when compared with the ibuprofen. VIPON tampon is a viable, nonpharmacologic option to traditional low-dose over-the-counter pharmacologic therapies for menstrual pain management with more rapid onset of action.

Auricular acupressure combined with an internet-based intervention or alone for primary dysmenorrhea: a control study.

Background. Primary dysmenorrhea is prevalent in adolescents and young women. Menstrual pain and distress causes poor school performance and physiological damage. Auricular acupressure can be used to treat these symptoms, and Internet-based systems are a flexible way of communicating and delivering the relevant information. Objective. This study investigates the effects of auricular acupressure (AA) alone and combined with an interactive Internet-based (II) intervention for the management of menstrual pain and self-care of adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea. Design. This study adopts a pretest/posttest control research design with a convenience sample of 107 participants. Results. The outcomes were measured using the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), visual analogue scale (VAS), menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ), and adolescent dysmenorrheic self-care scale (ADSCS). Significant differences were found in ADSCS scores between the groups, and in SF-MPQ, VAS, MDQ, and ADSCS scores for each group. Conclusion. Auricular acupressure alone and a combination of auricular acupressure and interactive Internet both reduced menstrual pain and distress for primary dysmenorrhea. Auricular acupressure combined with interactive Internet instruction is better than auricular acupuncture alone in improving self-care behaviors.

Self-care management of menstrual pain among Chinese adolescents

The aim of this study was to investigate the self-care management for menstrual pain among Chinese adolescent girls. 531 girls reported menstrual pain in their past 3 cycles were asked to recall the pain severity and their self-care behaviors by rating the Visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhic Self-Care Scale (ADSCS). Any pharmacological self-management was recorded using an open-ended question. The ADSCS was developed in Taiwan based upon Orem's self-care deficit theory. It consists of 40 items rated on a 1-6 Likert scale that measure six aspects of self-care behavior with higher values indicating a higher level of self-care behavior being practiced.

Are there any cross‐ethnic differences in menstrual profiles? A pilot comparative study on Australian and Chinese women with primary dysmenorrhea

To explore and compare the features of menstruation, perception and management of menstrual pain between two cohorts of Australian and Chinese women. A pilot comparison study was carried out using modified valid menstrual questionnaires. The study included 120 Australian women and 122 Chinese women aged from 18 to 45 years with primary dysmenorrhea. Australian women rated menstrual pain as more intense than Chinese women (8.5 ± 1.5 on a 10-point pain scale vs 7.3 ± 1.8, P < 0.001), duration of pain was 36% longer (3.0 ± 2.5 vs 2.2 ± 0.9 days, P = 0.002) and menarche commenced earlier (12.7 ± 1.5 vs 14.2 ± 1.4 years, P < 0.001). The mean reported menstrual interval was also shorter (29.2 ± 5.3 vs 30.52 ± 3.7, P = 0.020) with heavier overall menstrual flow (P = 0.002) and fewer clots in menstrual blood (83% vs 95.8%, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in duration of menstruation (5.2 ± 1.3 vs 5.4 ± 1.1 days; P = 0.180). Correlations were found between earlier menarche and increased intensity of menstrual pain (r = -0.16, P = 0.011), and between heavier menstrual flow and increased intensity of menstrual pain (r = 0.19, P = 0.003). Evidence from this pilot study suggested that the clinical menstrual presentations in the cohorts of Australian and Chinese women were different. Although the findings are preliminary, evaluating ethnic differences in menstruation and experimental menstrual pain models may not only provide some information about underlying mechanisms but may also predict or explain group differences.

Evaluation of Menstrual Pain Management Approaches by Northeastern Anatolian Adolescents

We evaluated approaches taken by Northeastern Turkish adolescents to cope with menstrual pain. The questionnaire was prepared according to the facial pain rating scale and applied to 1,408 female high school students (16.05 ± 1.05 years of age). We investigated the characteristics of dysmenorrhea in adolescents, dysmenorrhea management strategies used by adolescents, and use of medication. We evaluated the relationships among pain duration, severity, and duration of dysmenorrhea experience using the chi-squared test. Dysmenorrhea was considered to be painful menstruation during the past three cycles and was experienced by 81.7% of subjects. It mostly occurred during the past 1-3 years (65.6%). Pain was mostly initiated a day before (38.8%) or at the beginning of (45.8%) menstrual flow and lasted for 1-3 days. It was felt in multiple locations but most commonly in the lower abdomen and lumbar region. Major symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea were sweating, low appetite, headache, distraction, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, as well as varying degrees of pain severity. Approaches taken to deal with dysmenorrhea were: consulting a health professional (8.9%), medication (46.1%), nonmedicinal activities, and other empirical strategies (24.4%). Medication was recommended mostly by mothers (39.0%) and was taken when pain became unbearable (65.5%). More than one-third of the subjects did not know which drug they took. Major nonpharmacologic measures were: heating pad use (36.5%), sleeping (31.0%), walking (11.3%), and massaging (11.0%). Seeing a physician (p < .001), taking medication (p < .001), and applying empirical strategies to prevent dysmenorrhea (p < .01) were associated with prolonged dysmenorrhea. Medication was associated with shortening pain duration during one menstrual cycle. Except for empirical strategies to prevent dysmenorrhea, all other methods used to prevent dysmenorrhea were related to pain duration and severity. Adolescents should be encouraged to consult a physician and should be prescribed medication in addition to other measures to alleviate menstrual pain and shorten its duration. Moreover, school curriculum should be redesigned to address proper management strategies for adolescent problems. School nurses can also provide consultation services and arrange informative seminars to increase public awareness of this issue.

A narrative review of medical, chiropractic, and alternative health practices in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea

Objective Primary dysmenorrhea and related issues are discussed as they influence the gynecological and social health of females during adolescence, adulthood, and senior maturity. Health practitioners are exposed to multiple approaches towards the management of menstrual pain. Clinical and social viewpoints target the causation, development, diagnosis, manifestation and management of primary dysmenorrhea. This narrative review includes the topic of the doctor-patient relationship in efforts of cultivating effectively communicative health practitioners. Controversial topics related to primary dysmenorrhea and the quality of life for women are addressed. Data Sources A search for literature reviews, case studies, laboratory research, and clinical trials from 1985–2004 was performed using the MEDLINE database. Sources of additional information included textbooks, national organizational literature and contemporary articles. Discussion Menstrual pain is a prevalent experience yet it is socially taboo for conversation; as such, it poses a hindrance to its management. The communication between the doctor and patient is a critical barrier point between establishing a diagnosis and determining an appropriate treatment plan. A multi-disciple treatment plan varies as much as patients themselves vary in personal experiences, needs, and preferences. Conclusions Medicinal prophylactics, physical therapeutics, non-acidic diets, herbal supplements, eastern therapies and the chiropractic manual adjustments of the spine are effective methods for the management of primary dysmenorrhea. The non-invasive management of primary dysmenorrhea includes the chiropractic adjustment with complimentary modalities, and other alternative health care practices. Medicinal prophylactics are invasive and pose a higher risk to long-term chemical exposure, side effects or irreversible conditions.