The effect of yoga practice on pain intensity, menstruation symptoms and quality of life of nursing students with primary dysmenorrhea

The researchers aimed to determine the effects of yoga on pain severity, menstrual symptoms and quality of life of undergraduate nursing students with primary dysmenorrhea. The 60 female students were divided into intervention (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30) by block randomization. In the study, data were evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale for Pain, the Menstruation Symptom Scale and the Short Form-36 Health Survey Scale. The 12-week intervention program, which included all components of Hatha yoga, was carried out twice a week for a total of 24 sessions of 60 min. The control group did not receive any intervention. The severity of menstrual pain and symptoms decreased in yoga group compared to control group, and there were significant improvements in quality of life (p < 0.001). The researchers shows that regular Hatha yoga may be a possible nonpharmacological treatment for primary dysmenorrhea in young women in this study.