2025, Vol. 12, Issue 6, Part E

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is a highly prevalent condition that significantly impacts the quality of life for young women. Non-pharmacological interventions like stretching are recognized as safe and effective, but the optimal timing and consistency of such programs are not well understood. This study aimed to determine and compare the effects of a continuous versus a non-continuous stretching exercise program on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea.

Methods: This study was an unblinded, two-arm, randomized controlled trial. Thirty young female adults aged 18-25 with moderate-to-severe primary dysmenorrhea were recruited via convenience sampling and randomly allocated into two groups (n=15): a Non-continuous group that paused stretching during menstruation and a Continuous group that did not. Both groups followed a structured, six-movement stretching protocol three times per week for eight weeks. The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the validated Working ability, Location, Intensity, Days of pain, Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score.

Results: Both intervention groups demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in WaLIDD scores post-intervention (p <.001). The median WaLIDD score for both groups decreased from 6 to 4. A Mann-Whitney U test comparing the post intervention scores between the two groups found no statistically significant difference (p =.896). This indicates that both stretching protocols were comparably effective in reducing the severity of primary dysmenorrhea.

Conclusion: Stretching exercise is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating primary dysmenorrhea in young female adults. The benefits of the exercise program are not compromised by pausing the routine during the menstrual period. This finding supports a more flexible, patient-centered approach to care, allowing the intervention to be adapted to individual comfort and preference without reducing its overall effectiveness.