Effectiveness of Pilates Exercises Versus Stretching Exercise in Reducing Premenstrual Syndrome among College Girls

Background: The majority of women who are of reproductive age have premenstrual syndrome, a variety of issues that impact them throughout the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome affect both physical and emotional states, and the most commonly experienced symptoms are stiffness or cramps, abdominal cramps, breast pain, and moodiness. To determine the effect of Pilates and stretching exercises on premenstrual syndrome using premenstrual syndrome questionnaire and visual analog scale among young girls. Methods: The study was conducted at Saveetha College of Physiotherapy with 250 female students recruited using convenient sampling. They were recruited and tested using the premenstrual syndrome questionnaire before and after the treatment. Among them, 152 students who had premenstrual symptoms were divided equally into two groups: the Pilates group (n = 76) and the stretching group (n = 76). The Pilates group received Pilates exercises, and the stretching group received stretching exercises for 12 weeks with 3 sessions per week. The visual analogue scale and premenstrual syndrome questionnaire were used as outcome measures for the study. Results: The premenstrual syndrome questionnaire and visual analogue scale pre- and post-test results revealed a significant difference (p<0.0001) between the two groups. where the Pilates group showed better results than the stretching group in reducing premenstrual syndrome.