Self‐Care for Management of Dysmenorrhea: A Review of Reviews
Zoe Mungai‐Barris, Hsin‐Yu Lo, Ping Teresa Yeh, Jennifer J. K. Rasanathan, Vahid Grami, Sujeivan Mahendram, Caitlin E. Kennedy, Manjulaa NarasimhanABSTRACT
Objective
To synthesize evidence from published systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of self‐care interventions for reducing dysmenorrhea.
Methods
We included peer‐reviewed systematic reviews evaluating self‐care interventions for dysmenorrhea. Eligible interventions were self‐administered (e.g., non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), exercise, heat therapy, herbal supplements) or taught by a health and care worker or other instructor with potential to continue independently (e.g., yoga, acupressure, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)). Outcomes were the severity of dysmenorrhea of any cause or underlying etiology, using validated pain scales. We searched four databases—PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, and EMBASE—for reviews published between January 1, 2000, and the search date of October 4, 2024. Titles and abstracts were screened by one reviewer, and full texts were assessed independently by two reviewers, with data extraction differences resolved through consensus.
Results
This review of reviews synthesized findings from 21 systematic reviews comprising 239 unique studies covering diverse self‐care interventions for dysmenorrhea, including both self‐initiated interventions and those initially taught by a health and care worker and continued independently. Interventions included NSAIDs, exercise, topical heat therapy, herbal and dietary supplements, acupressure, and TENS. NSAIDs, exercise, and topical heat were consistently effective for menstrual pain relief. Among supplements, ginger demonstrated the most consistent evidence for pain relief and fennel showed considerable effectiveness. Acupressure demonstrated moderate effectiveness in pain relief, and TENS showed largely positive effects on pain relief, especially high‐frequency TENS. However, many of the included reviews synthesize low‐quality, heterogeneous, or small‐scale primary studies.
Conclusion
Overall, our findings support a range of interventions for self‐managing dysmenorrhea with the potential to inform evidence‐based decision‐making of individuals and public health guideline development.