Association between perimenstrual symptoms and static balance in young women: a preliminary longitudinal observational study

Perimenstrual symptoms are physiological and psychological responses to fluctuations in female hormone levels. These symptoms, which include physical discomfort such as lower abdominal pain and emotional changes such as irritability and depression, affect over 80% of women of reproductive age and vary in type and severity depending on the menstrual phase. Static balance, which plays a fundamental role in motor coordination and is influenced by various systems, may be affected by these symptoms. Although changes in balance across menstrual phases have been examined, the relationship between perimenstrual-symptom severity and static balance has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the relationship between static balance and the severity of perimenstrual symptoms during the menstrual, postmenstrual, ovulatory, and premenstrual phases in young women. Eighteen women with eumenorrhea were enrolled. Static balance was measured by recording the women’s postures for 30 s while standing on one leg at four time points: during menstruation, postmenstruation, ovulation, and premenstruation. Symptoms during the perimenstrual period were measured with the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ), which includes subsections on pain, concentration, behavioral change, autonomic reaction, water retention, and negative affect. During the menstrual phase, significant correlations were identified between total trajectory length and both pain (r = 0.527, P = 0.025) and concentration (r = 0.500, P = 0.035). In the premenstrual phase, the total MDQ scores were correlated with the total trajectory length (r = 0.570, P = 0.013). No significant correlations were found between the total MDQ scores and trajectory length during the postmenstrual or ovulation phases. This study first demonstrated a relationship between perimenstrual-symptom severity and static balance. Total trajectory observed a significant correlation with body pain and concentration during the menstrual phase and with MDQ scores during the premenstrual phase. These results suggest that young women with more severe symptoms during their menstrual cycle may have reduced balance ability. Evaluating symptom severity, in addition to menstrual phase, may be useful when assessing performance-related functions such as static balance, but further studies are warranted.