Integrating Lifestyle Focused Approaches into the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: Impact on Quality of Life

Abstract

Objective: This narrative review aims to identify alternative ways to improve the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Background: PD refers to endometrial painful cramps during the premenstrual period. This condition affects a lot of women worldwide and is accompanied with absenteeism and high economic costs, thus, risk-free, and effective therapeutic approaches are needed. Pharmacological agents such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), which are widely prescribed for these women, demonstrate adequate efficacy in alleviating pain and discomfort. The long natural course of the disease dictates remedies that focus on lifestyle changes and on improvement of Quality-of-Life (QoL) for women suffering with PD. Materials and Methods: Five major search engines, namely MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published prior to October 2020 focused in PD. A total of 74 paper were included. Discussion: Physical activity, for instance yoga, aromatherapy massage, and other forms of relaxation, vitamins and dietary changes, acupressure and acupuncture,a and some psychological interventions are just few of the proposed health behavior targeted approaches in cases of PD. This review focuses on lifestyle changes and alternative methods that could potentially result in minimizing symptoms of PD and in improving overall QoL for these patients, by providing current scientific evidence on their efficacy. Conclusion: Complementary and alternative medicine practices (CAM) are widely accepted by women. International literature provides controversial scientific evidence, thus further studies need to be conducted in order to prove or disregard their efficacy in cases of PD.

Dysmenorrhea and Quality of Life: A Cross-sectional Survey Among Medical Students

“…A meta-analysis study indicated that exercise and physical activity reduced the intensity of pain and other symptoms related to menstruation (20). Ortiz stated that probably 50 minutes of exercise three times a week could have positive effects in reducing menstrual pain (1,11). Another study reported that home exercise could lead to a significant improvement in the QOL related to health and pain in patients with dysmenorrhea (21).…”

“…It is defined as recurrent menstrual cramps of uterine origin without obvious medical pathology, causing physical, mental, and social changes such as mood swings and socioeconomic changes. It can also cause considerable restrictions on all activities (1,2). Dysmenorrhea affects between 45 -95% of women with menstrual periods (3).…”

Coping Methods Used by Students of a Health School for Dysmenorrhea Management

“…Literatürde primer dismenoreyi önlemede yoga, ağrı süresini ve şiddetini azaltmada mükemmel bir araç olarak kabul edilmiştir. İzometrik egzersiz ve germe, koşma, Kegel egzersizleri ve gevşeme duruşları gibi diğer fiziksel aktivite biçimlerinin de düzenli olarak yapıldığında dismenorede ağrı ve rahatsızlığı gidermek için önerildiği belirlenmiştir (Tsonis et. al.…”

Can taping reduce menstrual pain, distress, and anxiety? A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Various lifestyle interventions and alternative medicine have reported to be effective in treating dysmenorrhea [33,34]. Women have been found to have distorted body image due to PD, and treatment by certain physiotherapeutic approaches like heat therapy, spinal manipulations and electrotherapy, as well as KT, are reported to be effective [21].…”