The Effect of Abdominal Massage and Exercise on Primary Dysmenorrhea in University Students

The students included in the study will be randomly separated into 3 groups using a computer-based randomisation plan (www.randomization.com).

Those included in the massage group will be instructed to massage the abdomen for 10 mins a day on the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle. The massage is to be applied as effleurage (light touch) clockwise over the abdomen from over the abdominal wall to the intestinal area.

The students in the exercise group will be instructed to perform stretching exercises including the pelvic and lumbar regions 3 times a day for the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle.

The control group will perform no exercise or massage. The applications will be demonstrated to the participants by a physiotherapist. Throughout the study period, the students will be followed up to ensure that the applications are being made. Follow-up of the applications of abdominal massage and stretching exercises applied by there searcher physiotherapist according to the study plan will be conducted by the researchers.

The participants will be informed how to apply the massage and perform the exercises and that these applications will cause no side-effects. They will also be informed that participation in the study is voluntary and they can withdraw from the study at any time.

The study will include volunteer female students, aged 18- 20 years, with regular menstrual cycles, who record ≥ 6 points on VAS in the first 3 days of at least 2 of the last 3 menstrual cycles and will not use analgesics during the study.

Data Collection Tools Personal Information Form: This form was prepared by the researchers in accordance with previous reports in literature to include 5 socio-demographic items and 14 items related to the menstrual history (age of menarche, frequency of painful menstruation, amount of bleeding, family history of painful menstruation, methods of dealing with the pain, etc).

Visual Analog Scale (VAS):This scale is a simple method used in the measurement of pain severity and in the follow-up of pain. The patient is instructed to mark the severity of pain on a 10cm horizontal line, where 0= non pain and 10= intolerable pain.

Dysmenorrhea Symptom List:This list was prepared by the researchers in accordance with literature to evaluate the efficacy of the application and includes the findings seen in the presence of dysmenorrhea in females. Each finding is scored from 0-3 as 0= non symptom, 1= mild symptom that does not affect daily activity, 2 = mild non-debilitating symptom that affects daily activity, 3= totally debilitating severe symptom.

Amount of Menstrual Blood: As it is impossible to measure blood lost during menstruation in a laboratory environment, a pictorial blood loss evaluation table will be used,which is a practical and low-cost method with a high accuracy rate. The pictorial blood loss evaluation table was developed to show the degree of soiling. The participants will be given detailed instructions of how to use these forms and will be checked as to whether or not they have understood by being instructed to record a bleeding pattern described by the researchers (eg, mark on the table that in the first 2 days you have used 5 pads completely soiled and in the following 3 days, 2 half pads and 1 with staining). The pictorial index score is calculated by giving points of 1, 5 and 20 to mild, moderately and heavily soiled pads respectively, and scores of 1 and 5 for small and large clots. A cut-off value of 100 will be used. To reduce misinterpretations resulting from the use of different pads, all the participants will be recommended to use the same brand of sanitary pad.