Effectiveness of Dark Chocolate and Music in Dysmenorrhea
Condition: Pain; Primary Dysmenorrhea; Menstrual Pain
MeSH terms: Dysmenorrhea
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a pain that occurs in the menstrual period without pathological
      pelvic disorder. Excessive prostaglandin release causes uterine contraction and leads to
      uterine hypoxia and ischemia, which results in extreme abdominal cramps and pain. Music
      therapy is one of the complementary treatment methods in the management of pain for PD which
      is an intervention that is not expensive and has no side effects. Another complementary
      treatment method is for PD is chocolate. In the literature; there have a few studies about
      the effect of the music and dark chocolate on the primary dysmenorrhea but no studies have
      been conducted to evaluate the effects of the music and dark chocolate on PD.

      The following is the protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial, where an
      experimental group 1 listened to a 30-minute song, an experimental group 2 ate dark chocolate
      and a control group had no intervention for the same time and conditions. The aim of this
      study is to determine the effect of dark chocolate and music on PD. This pain measured
      through a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in nursing students from the Faculty of Health
      Sciences at the Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. Additionally, State-Trait
      Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess the trait and state anxiety.
    

Detailed description: 
      Primary Dysmenorrhea (PD) is defined as cramping pain in the lower abdomen, which occurs
      before or during menstruation without pelvic diseases. Contraceptive pills and non steroidal
      anti inflammatory drugs are commonly used in the treatment of PD. International (66.5% to
      92.5%) and Turkey (87.7% to 80.1%) in the studies among university students show that a high
      percentage of dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea negatively affects the school absenteeism of girls,
      their academic success and causes a lack of concentration. The rate of using pain medication
      due to dysmenorrhea is high among students. Music therapy has been shown to be effective in
      relaxing the mind and body, relieving anxiety, enhancing security, and increasing pain
      thresholds. Dark chocolate contains copper, which is used by the body to synthesize
      neurotransmitters called collagen and endorphins. Endorphin hormone is an analgesic and
      natural sedative to reduce pain intensity such as menstrual pain.

      This randomized clinical trial was designed to determine the effect of eating dark chocolate
      and listening music on PD, compared to a control group that no intervention in women of 18
      years or older from the the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Manisa Celal Bayar University,
      Manisa, Turkey.
    

Intervention name(s): music; Chocolate group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Participants listened a song with headphones that lasts 29 minutes and 32 seconds for four days (three days before menstruation and the first day of menstruation).; Participants ate 40 mg of dark chocolate with 60% cocoa per a day for four days (three days before menstruation and the first day of menstruation) that was given by researchers to them.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: music; dark chocolate; dysmenorrhea; pain