Pelvic Nerve Mobilization for Primary Dysmenorrhea
Efficacy of Pelvic Nerve Mobilization in Reducing Symptoms of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial
University of Hail
60 participants
Oct 20, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Primary dysmenorrhea is a highly prevalent condition among young women and is associated with significant pain, reduced quality of life, and academic absenteeism. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used, many women seek non-pharmacological alternatives due to limited effectiveness or adverse effects. Emerging evidence suggests that altered pelvic neurodynamics may contribute to dysmenorrheic pain. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of external pelvic nerve mobilization in reducing menstrual pain and associated symptoms among university women with primary dysmenorrhea. Participants aged 18-30 years will be randomly allocated to receive either external pelvic nerve mobilization or a sham manual therapy intervention across three consecutive menstrual cycles. Outcomes will include pain intensity, menstrual distress, quality of life, pelvic tenderness, analgesic consumption, and academic absenteeism.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria5
- Female university students aged 18-30 years
- Regular menstrual cycles (24-35 days)
- Clinically diagnosed primary dysmenorrhea
- Average menstrual pain intensity ≥ 5 on Visual Analog Scale
- Willingness to participate and provide informed consent
Exclusion Criteria6
- Secondary dysmenorrhea (e.g., endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease)
- History of pelvic or spinal surgery
- Neurological disorders
- Current pregnancy or lactation
- Current physiotherapy or manual therapy treatment
- Contraindications to manual therapy
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Interventions
Participants will receive a standardized, protocol-driven external neurodynamic mobilization intervention specifically designed to target the lumbosacral plexus and pudendal nerve pathways. Unlike general pelvic manual therapy or routine neural mobilization techniques typically used in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, this intervention incorporates: A predefined sequence of graded neurodynamic maneuvers developed exclusively for this study, combining individually titrated sliders and tensioners based on the participant's symptom irritability and neurodynamic response. Non-internal, purely external application, ensuring a consistent, reproducible method across participants while avoiding variability associated with internal pelvic techniques used in other women's health studies
Participants will receive non-therapeutic light manual contact over the lumbosacral and pelvic regions without neural gliding, joint movement, or tissue mobilization. Session duration and therapist interaction will match the intervention group.
Locations(1)
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NCT07354451