Randomised trial, 2024
Can yoga or muscle relaxation exercises ease PMS symptoms?
Yes, in this small trial, students who practiced yoga, or yoga plus progressive muscle relaxation, had lower PMS scores afterward than those who did only relaxation or nothing.
What they did
68 university students with PMS were randomly split into four groups of 17: yoga only, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) only, yoga plus PMR, and a control group with no intervention. Before and after the program, everyone filled in a PMS Scale and a Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.
What they found
The yoga group and the yoga + PMR group had lower PMS Scale scores after the program than the PMR-only group and the control group (p values reported as significant, exact numbers not given in the abstract).
What it means for you
Yoga, alone or combined with relaxation exercises, may help reduce PMS symptoms, but the groups were very small (17 people each) and the abstract does not give the actual score numbers, only that the difference was statistically significant.
68
Total participants
17
Participants per group
About the study
- Original title
- The effects of yoga and progressive muscle relaxation exercises on premenstrual syndrome: a randomized controlled trial
- Authors
- Abic A, Dag-Canatan S, Er-Korucu A et al.
- Journal
- Women & health
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 68
- What was tested
- Yoga, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), or both, compared with no intervention.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2024.2314524
Topics
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