Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menstruation for 12 consecutive months and is associated with a wide range of physiological and psychological changes. During the postmenopausal period, women frequently experience menopausal symptoms, including vasomotor, somatic, psychological, and urogenital complaints, as well as sleep disturbances and fatigue. These symptoms may negatively affect daily functioning and overall quality of life.
Non-pharmacological interventions are increasingly recommended for the management of menopausal symptoms because of their safety, accessibility, and potential to improve well-being. Among these interventions, relaxation training has been reported to alleviate menopausal symptoms and improve sleep quality and psychological health. Previous studies have also demonstrated that regular physical activity and exercise-based interventions may reduce symptom severity and improve quality of life in postmenopausal women. However, findings regarding their effects on sleep quality remain inconsistent, highlighting the need for further research using standardized intervention protocols.
Tele-rehabilitation enables healthcare professionals to deliver rehabilitation services remotely using information and communication technologies while maintaining real-time interaction with participants. This approach has become increasingly common following the COVID-19 pandemic and offers several advantages, including improved accessibility, reduced transportation barriers, enhanced treatment adherence, and the opportunity to deliver supervised interventions in participants' home environments. Tele-rehabilitation has been successfully implemented across various rehabilitation fields; however, evidence regarding physiotherapist-supervised relaxation training delivered synchronously via tele-rehabilitation for postmenopausal women remains limited.
The present randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of a physiotherapist-supervised relaxation training program delivered synchronously via tele-rehabilitation on menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, and fatigue in women during the early postmenopausal period. Thirty eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group will receive a six-week tele-rehabilitation-based relaxation training program consisting of two supervised sessions per week, whereas participants in the control group will receive no structured intervention during the study period.
Menopausal symptoms will be evaluated using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), objective sleep parameters will be monitored using the Sleep Cycle mobile application, and fatigue will be assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Outcome measures will be collected before and after the six-week intervention.
This study is expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of tele-rehabilitation-based relaxation training as a non-pharmacological intervention for improving menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, and fatigue in postmenopausal women. The findings may contribute to the integration of tele-rehabilitation into women's health rehabilitation and support the development of accessible, cost-effective, and sustainable rehabilitation programs for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.
