A Study to Effectiveness of Physical Exercises on Menstrual Pain Perception among Adolescent Girls with Primary Dysmenorrhea at Selected School in Madurai

The present study is to identify the effectiveness of physical exercises on menstrual pain perception among adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhea at selected school in Madurai. During the year 2010-11 in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing at College of Nursing, Madurai Medical College, Madurai which is affiliated to The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai. OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the level of menstrual pain perception among adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhoea before giving physical exercises. 2. To determine the level of menstrual pain perception among adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhoea after giving physical exercises. 3. To compare the effectiveness of physical exercises on pain perception among adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhea before and after giving physical exercises. 4. To associate the post test level of menstrual pain perception among adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhoea with selected demographic variables. DESIGN: Quasi experimental, pre test and post test design. SETTING: Lourdu Annai Girls Higher Secondary School, K. Pudur, Madurai. SAMPLE: 60 adolescent girls during menstruation were selected for the study. CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK: Modified Ernestine Wiedenbach’s Helping Art of Clinical Nursing Theory (1970) was framed. OUTCOME MEASURES: Menstrual Pain perception level was measured of by using visual analogue pain scale. INTERVENTION: Physical exercise programme – 30 minutes;Warm up exercises: 10 minutes stretching – 5 repetitions Toning exercises: 15 minutes stretching- 6 repetitions &Cool down exercises: 5 minutes – 2 repetitions. RESULTS: Adolescent girls who had physical exercises during menstruation reported significant reduction on pain perception of 2.466 in post test than 5.266 in pre test. CONCLUSION: The result supported that physical exercises are very suitable and practicable therapy of non pharmacological measure of reduction in pain perception during menstruation. The findings suggest that physical exercises can be an effective, cost-free intervention for reducing pain and anxiety during dysmenorrhoea, and recommend its use for self-care of primary dysmenorrhoea