It contains physical means in which primary dysmenorrhea can be addressed without the use of drugs and also to avoid the side effects caused by the used drugs. I hope my viewers are going to give good comments on how these methods have helped them and the most effective one.

1. PHYSIOTHERAPY IN
PRIMARY
DYSMENORRHEA
1 BY:
NIHINLOLA OLUWAMAYOWA EMMANUEL
PART 4 PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENT
BOWEN UNIVERSITY,
NIGERIA.

2. DEFINITION
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT
PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTION
OTHER PHYSIOTHERAPY
INTERVENTIONS
WHY ARE PHYSIOTHERAPY MEANS
BETTER?
OUTLINE2

3. DEFINITION
oPrimary dysmenorrhea is cramping pain in the
lower abdomen that occurs just before or during
menstruation without identifiable pelvic
pathology.
oSymptoms include nausea, vomiting, fatigue,
back pain, headaches, dizziness, and diarrhea.
othe leading cause of recurrent absenteeism from
school or work in adolescent girls and young
women.
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4. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Excessive production and release of
prostaglandins during menstruation by
the endometrium causes hyper-
contractility of the uterus, leading to
uterine hypoxia and ischaemia, which
are believed to cause the pain and
cramps in primary dysmenorrhea.
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5. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT
• Non-steroidal anti-inflamnmatory drugs
(Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen,
Meclofenamate, Mefenamic acid,
Naproxen etc.).
• Oral contraceptives.
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6. PHYSIOTHERAPY
INTERVENTIONTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS): Electrodes are placed on the skin and electric
current applied at different pulse rates and intensities
to stimulate these areas in efforts to provide pain relief.
High frequency TENS (conventional TENS):
consists of pulses delivered at 50-120 Hz at a low
intensity.
Low-frequency TENS (acupuncture-like TENS):
consist of pulses delivered at 1-4 Hz at high intensity
and with long pulse width.
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7. OTHER PHYSIOTHERAPY
INTERVENTIONSAcupressure: application of pressure to a particular
point of the body.
Aromatherapy: involves the use of essential and plant
extract to provide physical and psychological benefits.
Massage therapy: eliciting vasodilatation, hence
reversing the pathophysiological process.
Isometric exercise: active muscle contraction in order
to increase local blood flow and hence reversing the
pathophysiological process.
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8. OTHER PHYSIOTHERAPY
INTERVENTIONS
Topical application of continuous low-level heat may be
beneficial for some patients: eliciting vasodilatation,
hence reversing the pathophysiological process.
Kinesiotaping: the use of adhesive tapes to elevate
epidermis and reduce nociception.
Positioning: knee to chest position has been reported
to produce a relieving effect but the process is not
known yet.
Dietary supplements.
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9. WHY ARE PHYSIOTHERAPY MEANS
BETTER?
Managing dysmenorrhea with NSAIDs and oral
contraceptives is reported to be associated with side
effects such as nausea, breast tenderness, intermenstrual
bleeding, and hearing and visual disturbances and
In about 20 to 25% of women, menstrual pain has been
shown to be inadequately controlled by NSAIDs alone.
Therefore, finding an effective non-pharmacological
method for relieving symptoms of primary dysmenorrhoea
has a significant potential value.
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10. PREVENTION
Lifestyle modification seems to be helpful.
Smoking cessation should be encouraged, in
that smoking may be a risk factor for
dysmenorrhea.
Exercise has been shown to alleviate symptoms
of dysmenorrhea, though the mechanism is not
well understood.
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11. REFERENCES
owww.medicalnewstoday.com
oEmedicine.Medscape.com
owww.sciencedirect.com
owww.researchgate.net
owww.physio-pedia.com
owww.hermanwallace.com
owww.clinicaltrials.gov
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