Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity in Primary Dysmenorrhea
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: No intervention.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Primary Dysmenorrhea. Basic parameters: 19 years — 24 years · Female.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Egypt
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This study will be conducted to assess the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) activity in primary dysmenorrhea (PD).
Detailed description
Dysmenorrhea, marked by painful menstrual cramps, often involves increased PFM tension, spasms, and inflammation, affecting females' quality of life and productivity. The traditional focus has been on investigating the abdominal region in women with PD. However, this new perspective considers that the hormonal changes experienced during the menstrual cycle in PD patients may lead to a heightened sensitivity of the PFM, not just the abdominal area. This suggests that the pain associated with PD may have a more widespread impact on the pelvic region rather than being localized to the abdomen. Pelvic floor myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) may also exacerbate menstrual pain through the neural pathway.
There is a critical gap in the literature regarding the nature of the association between dysmenorrhea and PFM activity in this population. Yet, it is unknown whether the pain is a cause or result of increased PFM tone, and the nature of the association between menstrual pain and PFM tone in women with PD is also unknown.
So, this study utilizes transabdominal ultrasound (TAU) to examine PFM activity in PD, aiming to clarify how PFM activity contributes to menstrual pain. Understanding these dynamics could lead to preventive strategies and educational efforts highlighting the role of pelvic floor interventions in managing dysmenorrhea, potentially improving treatment methods and overall women's health management.
Interventions
- Other No intervention
No intervention
Primary outcome measures
- Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction [Time frame: 1 month]
- Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) relaxation [Time frame: 1 month]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Bladder section of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire [Time frame: 1 month]
- Bowel section of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire [Time frame: 1 month]
- 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument (SF-36) [Time frame: 1 month]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- They should be virgin, healthy female physiotherapy students with PD.
- They have regular menstruation (3-8 days in duration, with 21-35 days in between).
- Their ages will range from 18 to 25 years old.
- Their body mass index (BMI) will range from 18 to 24.9 kg/m2.
- Their waist-to-hip ratio will be less than 0.8.
Exclusion criteria
- Any urological or gynecological disorders in the previous 12 weeks (e.g., endometriosis, fibroids).
- Fibromyalgia.
- Severe psychiatric or psychological disorders.
- Those who had taken analgesics in the 12 hours before the assessment.
- Abdominal or pelvic surgery within the past six months.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Egypt · 1 center
- Cairo University — Giza
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06803173 · P.T.REC/012/005371