Dysmenorrhea: The Result of a Postural Defect

Effect of a physiotherapy program in women with primary dysmenorrhea

“…Time: 10 min. Billig [8] proposed a program of stretching the connective tissue around the pelvis, hip flexors and muscles in the inner thigh. Three types of specific stretches similar to those of Billig were proposed (Table 1).…”

“…However, our exercise program was very different than the program in the study by Israel et al [10] because our program included general and specific stretching exercises, jogging, exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor, and relaxation exercises for 50 min three days a week [7,8,16]. In this sense, our proposal of a physiotherapy intervention program included first performing overall stretching exercises for 10 min 3 times a week.…”

“…The purpose of these exercises is to prevent, or reduce as much as possible, the pain radiating to the lumbar zone and to the adductor muscles of the lower extremities; this pain is common in women with dysmenorrhea [16]. In the early 1940s, Billig [8] suggested that dysmenorrheic pain is due to contractions of ligamentous bands in the abdomen of the women. He suggested a series of exercises to reduce menstrual cramps, which consisted of stretching exercises of the connective tissue around the pelvis, hip flexors and muscles in the medial thigh [7,8,16].…”

“…In the early 1940s, Billig [8] suggested that dysmenorrheic pain is due to contractions of ligamentous bands in the abdomen of the women. He suggested a series of exercises to reduce menstrual cramps, which consisted of stretching exercises of the connective tissue around the pelvis, hip flexors and muscles in the medial thigh [7,8,16]. In the present study, exercises similar to those of Billig were included for 10 min 3 times a week.…”

“…Several authors have reported that physical exercise is indicated as medical treatment for the care of dysmenorrhea and its symptoms [7][8][9][10]. Billig [8] was one of the first supporters of exercise for dysmenorrhea; he created a series of stretching exercises and observed a relief of the dysmenorrheic symptoms [8,9].…”