Systematic review, 2024
Does exercise and physiotherapy help reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes. Physiotherapy significantly reduced depression in women with PMS and also reduced pain. It improves overall quality of life.
What they did
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 studies published from 2013 to 2023. Included randomized controlled trials and pre-post studies. Measured pain, depression, and quality of life using standard scales.
What they found
Physiotherapy significantly reduced depression compared to controls (p < 0.001, which is very strong statistical evidence). Physiotherapy reduced pain more than controls, with an average difference of 2.84 points on the pain scale (VAS). Overall, physiotherapy effectively alleviates PMS symptoms and improves quality of life.
What it means for you
Exercise-based physiotherapy can meaningfully reduce PMS symptoms, especially depression. The 2.84-point pain reduction may or may not feel noticeable depending on the scale used. Main limitation: varied quality and methods across the 14 studies reviewed.
14
Studies included in meta-analysis
p < 0.001
Statistical significance of depression reduction
2.84
Mean pain reduction in points (VAS scale)
About the study
- Original title
- The role of physiotherapy interventions in alleviating physical symptoms and improving quality of life in individuals with premenstrual syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors
- Shalini Verma, Gurjant Singh, Saumya Kothiyal
- Journal
- Advances in Rehabilitation
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Physiotherapy and exercise interventions
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5114/areh.2024.141104
Topics
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