Comparison of Different Physiotherapy Techniques in Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological disorder characterized by painful menstruation manifested by severe cramps in the lower abdomen. Recent epidemiological studies indicate a global prevalence of 50-90% among women (10-20% with severe symptoms); in Türkiye, studies show a prevalence of 75-85%.Dysmenorrhea is divided into two types: primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and secondary dysmenorrhea. PD is painful menstruation without any underlying pathological condition. The main goal of dysmenorrhea treatment is to significantly improve the patient's well-being and quality of life (QoL) by effectively relieving pain and relieving symptoms by targeting physiological mechanisms. There are various physiotherapy methods that can be used to reduce this pain, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), cryotherapy, myofascial release therapy (MRT), and kinesiology taping (KT).

This single-blind randomized controlled trial will investigate the acute therapeutic effects of Myofascial Release Technique (MRT) versus Kinesio Taping (KT) in 46 females aged 18-30 years with PD. Participants will be randomised into Group 1 (MRT; n = 23) or Group 2 (KT; n = 23), receiving a single intervention session during their most painful menstrual day

All participants will be asked to fill out 3 forms, namely a sociodemographic questionnaire covering age, height, BMI, age at menarche and duration of menstruation, a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to assess pain level and a Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement System (PROMIS-29 Profile v2.0) to measure quality of life (QoL) at 3 time points (pre-intervention, 8 hours after intervention ,and 3-5 weeks post intervention (at the first menstrual cycle after intervention).

Statistical analyses will be conducted by using SPSS 27.0 (IBM Corp.), with a priori power analysis confirming 95% power (α = 0.05; G*Power v3.1.9.7). Data normality will be verified via the Shapiro-Wilk test. Independent Samples t-tests will compare interventional effects between groups, while one-way ANOVA (with LSD post-hoc tests) will analyze multi-point QoL changes. Paired Samples t-tests will evaluate within-group temporal changes (pre vs. post-intervention).

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea,
• Moderate-to-severe pain during menstrual days 1-3,
• Regular menstrual cycles for past 6 months

Exclusion criteria

• Secondary gynaecological conditions,
• Current use of pain medications,
• History of pregnancy