Medical massage in dysmenorrhoea

Krzysztof Kassolik , Waldemar Andrzejewski, Piotr Wojtoń, Klara Sadowska, Agnieszka Cichoszewska

Krzysztof Kassolik , Waldemar Andrzejewski, Piotr Wojtoń, Klara Sadowska, Agnieszka Cichoszewska – Medical massage in dysmenorrhoea. Fizjoterapia Polska 2006; 6(4); 339-343

Abstract
Background. From 40 to 60 % of women aged 20-40 are affected by dysmenorrhoea. Such patients are usually prescribed pain-relieving and spasmolytic drugs. Massage is a non-invasive therapeutic modality whose effects are believed to include reduction of muscle tone. Therefore, the authors attempted to determine the efficacy of medical massage in allevi-ating dysmenorrhoeic pain. Material and methods. The participants of the study were 48 students from the University School of Physical Education, aged 22-25. To evaluate efficacy of medical massage, the researchers elaborated questionnaires. The objectives of the questionnaire were to: 1) select those participants complaining of menstruation-associated pain, and 2) to determine the intensity of the pain at baseline and after a series of massages. A total of 26 women with dysmenorrhea were selected and subsequently subjected to medical massage. Four 10-minute medical massage sessions were performed over the lumbar, sacral and gluteal areas. At the end of each procedure a hot water bottle with 45 degrees Celsius water was applied to the massaged area in order to preserve the changes in blood distribution within the pelvis. Results. Medical massage applied a few days before menstruation reduced dysmenorrhoeic pain in 24 out of the 26 women. Pain was alleviated in 16 women and completely disappeared in a further 8 patients. In 2 patients, the intensity of pain remained the same after application of medical massage. Conclusions. The findings indicate that medical massage can be an easy-to-use adjunctive therapeutic modality for reducing pain in women with dysmenorrhea.

Key words:
massage, dysmenorrhoea, physical therapy

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