Effect of core strengthening exercises as an adjunct to stretching exercises on pain and quality of life in females with primary dysmenorrhea: An experimental study

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological problem in females, which affects their overall health and quality of life. The objective of the study was to find the effect of core strengthening and stretching exercises on pain and quality of life in females with Primary Dysmenorrhea. Method: Twenty-seven unmarried girls with primary dysmenorrhea, aged between 18 to 25 years were divided into two groups by using simple random sampling i,e Group A (n=14) and Group B (n=13). Group A received core strengthening and stretching exercises and group B received stretching exercises alone, three times a week for 4 weeks. Outcomes measures included in the study were the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and HRQOL SF 36 which was collected at baseline and at week 4 after treatment and follow-ups were taken after 8 weeks. Result: The result showed that all outcome measures improved significantly (p<0.05) in both groups. Significantly more improvement was seen in patients with primary dysmenorrhea who received combined strengthening and stretching exercises. Conclusion: Both the stretching and strengthening exercises are effective in lowering pain and improving the quality of life in females with primary dysmenorrhea but the combination of the two is more effective than stretching exercises alone.