[ effect of 8 weeks stretching exercise on primary dysmenorrhea in 15-17 aged high school student girls in Arak]

ABSTRACT

Dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation is one of the most frequent female disorders. The aim of this investigation is studying the effects of one term stretching exercise on primary dysmenorrhea in high school student. In this semi-experimental study 179 students, 15-17 aged, not athlete and volunteer bachelor girls with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea were selected from 6 high schools in two different city zones. Total numbers of the students were 519 ones. Selected high schools were randomly divided into two groups experimental group [4 high schools, 124 persons] and control group [2 high schools, 55 persons]. In pre-test, all of subjects were studied for pain severity [1 to 10], pain duration and using sedative tablets in two continuous menstruation cycles. Post-test was given 8 weeks later. Data were analyzed using student t-test and nonparametric Wilcoxon test. Our results demonstrated that after 8 weeks, pain severity was decreased from 7.65 +/- 1.94 to 4.88 +/- 1.92, pain duration was decreased from 7.48 +/- 5.26 to 3.86+2.5 hours and finally, using sedative tablets was decreased from 1.65 +/- 1.02 to 0.79 +/- 0.69 tablets in experimental group [P<0.01]. No significant differences were observed between these parameters in control group [P>0.01]. The results of this study showed that stretching exercises are effective in reduction of pain severity, pain duration and also in reduction of using sedative tablets in girl students with primary dysmenorrhea