Efficacy of Physiotherapy Treatment in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Remedios López-Liria, Lucía Torres-Álamo, Francisco A. Vega-Ramírez, Amelia V. García-Luengo, José M. Aguilar-Parra, Rubén Trigueros-Ramos and Patricia Rocamora-Pérez
Additional contact information
Remedios López-Liria: Hum-498 Research Team, Health Research Centre, Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Lucía Torres-Álamo: Hum-498 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Francisco A. Vega-Ramírez: Hum-498 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Amelia V. García-Luengo: FQM228-Research Team, Random Models and Design of Experiments, Department of Mathematics, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
José M. Aguilar-Parra: Hum-878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Rubén Trigueros-Ramos: Hum-878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Patricia Rocamora-Pérez: Hum-498 Research Team, Health Research Centre, Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) refers to painful cramps before and/or during menstruation. There is a need for emphasis on alternative methods of conservative treatment, so as to reduce the dependence on drugs for alleviating the symptoms. The aim was to find out the effectiveness of some physiotherapy techniques in the treatment of PD. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA standards. The descriptors were “dysmenorrhea”, “physical the-rapy”, “physiotherapy”, and “manual therapy”. The search was performed in five databases: Scopus, PubMed, PEDro, Web of Science, and Medline, in February 2021. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials over the last six years. Articles not related to the treatment of PD or using pharmacology as the main treatment were excluded. Nine articles met the objectives and criteria, with a total of 692 participants. The most used scale to measure pain was the VAS (visual analogue scale). The main techniques were isometric exercises, massage therapy, yoga, electrotherapy, connective tissue manipulation, stretching, kinesio tape, progressive relaxation exercises and aerobic dance. Meta-analysis shows benefits of physiotherapy treatment for pain relief compared with no intervention or placebo (MD: −1.13, 95% CI: −1.61 to −0.64, I 2 : 88%). The current low-quality evidence suggests that physiotherapy may provide a clinically significant reduction in menstrual pain intensity. Given the overall health benefits of physiotherapy and the low risk of side effects reported, women may consider using it, either alone or in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities.

Keywords: primary dysmenorrhea; pain; physical therapy; electrotherapy; manual therapy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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