The Effectiveness of Physiotherapy Interventions in Minimizing Pain for Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Dysmenorrhea or menstrual pain is a common complaint in women when they are on period time. The main symptom of dysmenorrhea is pain in the lower abdomen. However, this lower abdominal pain has an impact on the occurrence of other disorders, such as fatigue, lack of enthusiasm to do daily activities, and other disorders, such as activities at school. A further impact of this pain is a decrease in quality of life. Physiotherapy interventions, including exercises, manual therapy, and electrotherapy, offer non-pharmacological treatment options. This study evaluates the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in reducing menstrual pain. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on studies published between 2015 and 2024. Databases included Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PEDro database. The keyword to search for the article was PICO. Population (P): Patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Intervention (I): Physiotherapy intervention, Comparison (C): Control subjects who either received no treatment, standard pharmaceuticals (e.g., NSAIDs, hormonal therapy), or other non-physiotherapy interventions, and Outcome (O): Decrease in pain intensity in the menstrual pain. Result: The analysis used random-effects models to estimate the effectiveness of interventions based on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. Out of 4607 studies, 11 met the criteria for meta-analysis. Physiotherapy interventions significantly reduced pain compared to controls (SMD = -1.32, 95% CI [-1.88; -0.77], P < 0.01) with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 45%). Comparisons between specific physiotherapy methods showed no significant differences (SMD = -0.09, 95% CI [-1.49; 1.32], P = 0.88), with high variability (I² = 89%). Conclusion: Physiotherapy intervention is effective in reducing menstrual pain, but outcomes vary across methods. Further research should address factors affecting variability to optimize treatment strategies.