Biomechanical Assessment of Spinal Posture in Girls With Primary Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea comes from the Greek word for difficult monthly flow and describes painful menstruation.Primary dysmenorrhea might be caused by spinal misalignment and incompatibility between muscles of the pelvic circumference and soft tissue.Leg Length Discrepancy affects spinal posture. Although, several studies evaluated the relation between spinal alignment, spinal configuration and primary dysmenorrhea, but, there is no previous study investigate the effect of leg length discrepancy on primary dysmenorrhea. So, this study will correlate leg length discrepancy with spinal configuration and primary dysmenorrhea.

Statement of the problem:

Is there an impact of spinal posture on primary dysmenorrhea in girls?

Hypothesis:

Null hypothesis: There is no impact of spinal mobility ,spinal configurations and leg length discrepancy on primary dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as painful menses in women with a normal pelvic anatomy. Adolescent girls tend to have a higher prevalence of primary dysmenorrhoea than older women, as primary dysmenorrhoea can improve with age.Asymmetry in upright posture is associated with various outcomes, such as the decreased loading of the affected side in stroke; degenerative changes of the hip, knee, and ankle joints and spine; or a leg length discrepancy.restriction of movement of the lumbosacral vertebrae, body fluid increases within the pelvis as well as contraction of the uterus leading to the intensification of the menstrual pain. Although, several studies evaluated the relation between spinal alignment, spinal configuration and primary dysmenorrhea, but, there is no previous study investigate the effect of leg length discrepancy on primary dysmenorrhea. So, this study will correlate leg length discrepancy with spinal configuration and primary dysmenorrhea.

One handred healthy girls with regular menstrual cycle and are not have any pelvic or gynecological disorders will be participated in this study. All subjects will be recruited from student of faculty of physical therapy, Cairo University.

1. Personal data: All data will be recorded in a recording data sheet.
2. Formetric Raster stereography: It will be used to assess spinal configuration (kyphotic angle, lordotic angle, pelvic inclination, trunk inclination and pelvic tilting) during menstruation.
3. Leg length discrepancy Tape measure can be used to measure the true leg length from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial malleolus. The functional leg length is measured from the umbilicus to medial malleolus.
4. Inclinometer can be used to measure range of motion of lumbar spines.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy girls with regular menstrual cycles with an average of 28:35 days.
* Their age will be ranged from 17to 24 years.
* Their body mass index will be ranged from 20 to 25kg/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Girls who have musculoskeletal disorders as low back pain.
* Girls who have any pelvic or gynecological disorders.
* History of lower limb injury.
* Over-weight and obese girls.
* Thin and underweight girls.
* Girls with spinal deformities as kyphosis and scoliosis.