Primary Dysmenorrhea and Mobilization.

Comparison of the Structured FEMOB Mobilization Technique and the MOPEXE Exercise Model in Women With Primary Dysmenorrhea

42 women diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea were included in the study and divided into three groups. the first group received treatment with a mobilization approach, the second group received motor imagery-focused exercises and the third group, as a control group received electrotherapy. all three groups received electrotherapy.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Primary Dysmenorrhea
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: MOPEXE; Other: CONTROL; Other: FEMOB

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34000
    • Medipol University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• primary dysmenorrhea

Exclusion Criteria:

• a contraindicated condition

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: FEMOB; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. FEMOB is a mobilization model that includes temporo-mandibular, occipito-sacral, and sacroiliac joint mobilizations along with abdominal myofascial release and kinesio taping.	Other: MOPEXE; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. 5 minute-Meditation Therapy 10 minute-Progressive Relaxation training ( Bernstein-Borkovec Method) 5 min - Breathing Exercises (Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise, Pursed lip breathing Exercise) 35 min -Motor Imagery Technique Focused Pelvic Floor Exercises-MOPEXE 5 min - Meditation Therapy Twice a week for 60 minutes 12 weeks Participants will be evaluated online at the beginning of the research and at the end of the 12-week program.; Other: CONTROL; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes.
Active Comparator: MOPEXE; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. 5 minute-Meditation Therapy 10 minute-Progressive Relaxation training ( Bernstein-Borkovec Method) 5 min - Breathing Exercises (Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise, Pursed lip breathing Exercise) 35 min -Motor Imagery Technique Focused Pelvic Floor Exercises-MOPEXE 5 min - Meditation Therapy Twice a week for 60 minutes 12 weeks Participants will be evaluated online at the beginning of the research and at the end of the 12-week program.	Other: CONTROL; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes.; Other: FEMOB; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. FEMOB is a mobilization model that includes temporo-mandibular, occipito-sacral, and sacroiliac joint mobilizations along with abdominal myofascial release and kinesio taping.
Other: CONTROL; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes.	Other: MOPEXE; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. 5 minute-Meditation Therapy 10 minute-Progressive Relaxation training ( Bernstein-Borkovec Method) 5 min - Breathing Exercises (Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise, Pursed lip breathing Exercise) 35 min -Motor Imagery Technique Focused Pelvic Floor Exercises-MOPEXE 5 min - Meditation Therapy Twice a week for 60 minutes 12 weeks Participants will be evaluated online at the beginning of the research and at the end of the 12-week program.; Other: FEMOB; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment will be applied to the lumbar and suprapubic areas using 2 channels and 4 electrodes. Conventional TENS (120 Hz) will be applied simultaneously to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 30 minutes. Hot pack application will be done sequentially to the lumbar and suprapubic areas for 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes. FEMOB is a mobilization model that includes temporo-mandibular, occipito-sacral, and sacroiliac joint mobilizations along with abdominal myofascial release and kinesio taping.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
McGill pain scale short form	The characteristic of pain felt by the patients during menstruation was evaluated using the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form,With the McGill Melzack Pain Questionnaire, the location of the pain, the feeling it creates in the individual, its relationship with time, its severity and the level of viable pain for the individual are determined. High score indicates high level of pain	5 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire	The Turkish version of the Menstrual Attitude Scale (MBI) will be applied to determine the attitudes and behaviors of the participants during the menstrual period. Menstruation attitude scale includes 5 subtitles. These subheadings are; Menstruation as a debilitating event; Menstruation as a bothersome event; Menstruation as a natural event; Ancipitation and prediction of the onset of menstruation; Denial of any effect of menstruation	5 minutes
Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale	This is a 14-item, 5-point Likert-type scale used to measure dysmenorrhea functionally and emotionally. There are no reverse items in the scale. The scale was developed to provide functional and emotional measurement of dysmenorrhea. As the scores obtained from the scale increase, the extent to which patients are functionally and emotionally affected by dysmenorrhea also increases.	5 minutes
Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire	The scale consists of 22 items that inquire about menstrual symptoms and is scored on a five-point Likert scale, from never (1) to always (5). The scale, which consists of three sub-dimensions, is evaluated in the sub-dimension of 'Negative effects/somatic complaints' with items 1-13, the sub-dimension of 'Menstrual pain symptoms' with items 14-19, and the sub-dimension of 'Coping methods' with items 20-22. An increase in the mean score indicates an increase in the severity of menstrual symptoms related to the relevant sub-dimension.	5 minutes
The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire	This is a self-reported assessment tool designed to comprehensively evaluate the physical and emotional symptoms experienced by individuals during their menstrual period. The scale consists of 25 questions, each with 5 sub-items, covering common symptoms such as abdominal pain, headache, nausea, irritability, and mood swings. Each item is scored using a Likert-type rating system to determine the frequency or severity with which the participant experiences the relevant symptom. As the total score on the scale increases, the intensity of the symptoms experienced during menstruation and their negative impact on daily life also increase. In this context, high scores indicate increased symptom severity and decreased quality of life. The scale offers a holistic assessment by encompassing both the somatic and emotional dimensions of menstruation-related symptoms.	5 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medipol University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Toprak Celenay S, Kavalci B, Karakus A, Alkan A. Effects of kinesio tape application on pain, anxiety, and menstrual complaints in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized sham-controlled trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020 May;39:101148. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101148. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Helpful Links

• Related Info
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Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 7, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 3, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 4, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): January 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; primary dysmenorrhea; mobilization
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: E-10840098-202.3.02-4605

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; ANALYTIC_CODE; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No