Vibration, Massage, and Myofascial Release in Primary Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common condition characterized by menstrual pain that maynegatively affect daily activities and school or work performance. This study willinvestigate three non‐pharmacological treatment approaches for managing primarydysmenorrhea.A total of 72 women aged 18 to 30 years with primary dysmenorrhea will be randomlyassigned in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to one of four groups: vibration therapy, abdominal massage,myofascial release, or education‐only control. All participants will receive standardizededucation about primary dysmenorrhea and menstrual pain management.The vibration therapy group will receive treatment using a vibrating massage ball appliedto the abdominal and lumbosacral regions. The abdominal massage group will receivestandardized massage applied to the lower abdominal and suprapubic regions. Themyofascial release group will receive treatment targeting the abdominal, lumbopelvic, andsacral regions. The control group will receive education only. The interventions will beadministered twice weekly for 12 weeks, covering three menstrual cycles.Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after the 12‐week intervention. Outcomeswill include menstrual pain characteristics, pressure pain threshold measured byalgometry at six standardized anatomical points, menstrual symptoms, and symptomsassociated with central sensitization. Outcome assessments will be performed by anassessor blinded to group allocation.