Self-massage of the abdomen for the reduction of pain and stress levels during menstruation in ESO students: A randomized controlled trial.
Item
- Title
- Self-massage of the abdomen for the reduction of pain and stress levels during menstruation in ESO students: A randomized controlled trial.
- Author(s)
- Guns, M
- Abstract
- Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is the most common gynaecological symptom, affecting between 67% to 90% of menstruating women. PD is a complex multidimensional topic often underestimated by health practitioners but having major consequences in women’s quality of life socially and economically. Recent studies have looked at self-massage of the abdomen with aromatherapy to alleviate PD symptoms. However, there are no published studies investigating self-massage without aromatherapy looking at both pain and stress. Objective: To investigate the effects of non-aromatherapy self-massage of the abdomen in European School of Osteopathy (ESO) students, on their reported pain and stress levels during menstruation. Design: Randomized controlled study. Methods: Students with regular menstrual cycles were selected from the ESO. The exclusion criteria included any past or current pregnancy, any contra-indication to abdominal massage, subjects diagnosed with secondary dysmenorrhea (SD), on hormonal contraception, smoking and taking any medications. Subjects recorded their pain and stress level first at baseline (1st menstruation). They were then randomly divided into 2 groups, one performing the self-massage of the abdomen and a control group. Readings were taken again in both groups (2nd menstruation) after the experimental group massaged their abdomen using odourless mineral oil. Data were analysed using Analyze-it and tested for normality of distribution using Shapiro-Wilks test. Subsequently, differences between or within the groups were tested using Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Regarding the baseline characteristics, the experimental group (n=17) and the control group (n=16) were homogeneous. The Kruskal-Wallis test (p>0.05) showed no statistical significant difference in outcome measure in the self-massage group compared to the control group. Discussion: Self-massage of the abdomen did not affect pain and stress during menstruation of the participants. Sample size, time frame and subjective measures might have been limiting factors influencing the power of the study. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study failed to support significant efficacy of self-massage of the abdomen on the pain and stress during menstruation. Future research possibly examining symptomatic patients is needed to provide clearer suppositions.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2019
- Date Submitted
- 19.11.2019 18:31:08
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16496
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- primary dysmenorrhea, self-massage, stress, pain
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Guns, M, “Self-massage of the abdomen for the reduction of pain and stress levels during menstruation in ESO students: A randomized controlled trial.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/333