The Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise in Improving Pain and Quality of Life Young Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea or menstrual pain is one of the health problems of many young women of all ages and races that cause them to be absent from their job. Globally more than 50% of young women report dysmenorrhea, with 10-20% experiencing severity. Although dysmenorrhea has a negative impact on a woman's life, many women do not seek hospital treatment associated with dysmenorrhea. Treatment of dysmenorrhea varies mainly. The treatment approach of dysmenorrhea is divided into three: pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and surgical. Exercise therapy has a positive influence on the human body, because exercise therapy not only activates the limbs, but also the organs in it. The study aims to review the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise in improving pain and quality of life in young women with primary dysmenorrhea. A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines for quality appraisal, four electronic databases were accessed that recorded studies on exercise intervention in young women with primary dysmenorrhea (PubMed, Springer, Science Direct, and Pedro). The quality of methodologies was check by PEDro scale. Fifteen studies were included in this research. Exercise seems effective in reducing pain and increasing the quality of life among young women with primary dysmenorrhea.