The Effect of Yoga on Women’s Premenstrual Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) show wide variety of emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms regularly every month. Mild physiological symptoms of PMS appear in 95% of women at their reproductive age. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of yoga exercise on symptoms of PMS.

Material and Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial from April to October of 2015. Eligible women for inclusion were selected conveniently from referred women to randomly selected obstetrics and gynecology private clinics in Tabriz, Iran. Thereafter, 62 subjects selected for the study. Subjects randomly divided into two groups: 31 subjects in the yoga group and 31 subjects in the control group with blocks 4 and 6. The yoga group performed yoga for 10 weeks in 3 sessions which each session had duration of 60 minutes. Subjects in the control group did not do any yoga exercise. Subjects completed Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) questionnaires for evaluation of yoga exercise on emotional, behavioral, physical symptoms and impact on the quality of life of subjects with PMS before and after. Data were analyzed by covariance. Results: The mean of emotional, physical, behavioral symptoms and impact of yoga exercise on the quality of life of subjects with PMS in the yoga group were 26.28±16.54, 32.69±20.81, 10.90±14.10, 22.8±14.56, and in the control group were 54.91±21.31, 72.01±22.24, 44.05±22.32, 54.00±20.33, (P<0.05), respectively.

Conclusion: This study shows that yoga exercise significantly relieves the PMS symptoms and can be prescribed for treatment of PMS.