Effects of Physiotherapy on Ultrasound and Clinical Parameters in Women With Dysmenorrhea

Starting soon · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Dysmenorrhea, Endometriosis

In brief

Dysmenorrhea affects up to 90% of women of reproductive age and represents a significant public health concern. Beyond prostaglandin-mediated uterine contractions, dysmenorrhea involves central sensitization mechanisms and myofascial components, including abdominal trigger points. Despite growing interest in physiotherapy for chronic pelvic pain, objective data on tissue-level changes induced by manual therapy remain scarce. This randomized single-blind sham-controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of abdominal manual mobilization techniques on (1) tissue stiffness measured by shear wave elastography at the uterine cervix and bilateral abdominal regions, and (2) clinical outcomes including pain intensity and quality of life in women with dysmenorrhea, with or without endometriosis. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a treatment group receiving standardized abdominal manual therapy or a sham group receiving superficial manual contact. Assessments will be conducted over three menstrual cycles using shear wave elastography, the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the SF-36 questionnaire.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07645196

Run by

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

People needed

80

Starts

2026-09-01

Expected to finish

2028-09-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-12

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 50. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• female sex
• aged 18 to 50 years
• clinical diagnosis of dysmenorrhea (cyclic pelvic pain during menstruation)

You may not qualify if…

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Delivery less than 1 year prior to enrollment
• History of abdominal or pelvic surgery within the past 3 months
• Diagnosis of fibromyalgia, diabetes, or cancer
• Ongoing manual therapy treatment of the abdominal or genital area

Where it is running

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel — Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium
• Isek He2B — Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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