Effect Of Kinesio Taping versus Effleurage Massage on Dysmenorrhea among Female Nursing Students

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) a widespread, ignored, and undertreated complain among adult females. It is considered a major factor behind their absence from colleges due to its vast variety of physical and psychological symptoms. Various nonpharmacological interventions can be beneficial in alleviating dysmenorrhea without any side effects. Aim: To determine the effect of kinesio taping versus effleurage massage on dysmenorrhea among Damanhour nursing students. Design: Pre and posttest quasi-experimental design was utilized. Setting: This study was executed at Faculty of nursing, Damanhour University, El-Beheira Governorate, Egypt. Subjects: Convenient sample of 90 female students was chosen. Tools: Three tools were used to collect data: Tool (I): Basic data structured interview questionnaire to obtain data about socio-demographic characteristics, menstrual history and lifestyle of nursing students, Tool (II): Visual Analogue Scale to measure severity of menstrual pain and Tool III: A modified version of Chamber Price pain rating scale (CPPRS) to evaluate behavioral responses to pain. Results: No statistically significant differences existed between the two groups prior intervention with mean 8.22 ± 2.42 &8.44±2.34 respectively. At 1st day after intervention, a significant reduction in pain severity was observed among the Kinesio group compared to the massage group with mean 3.76±2.60 & 6.20±2.69. While a highly statistically significant difference between the two groups was noted on the third day following the intervention. Conclusion: The study's major findings validated the study's hypothesis that nursing students who assume Kinesio taping exhibit less severity of dysmenorrhea than those who assume effleurage massage. Recommendations: Kinesio taping should be incorporated in nursing practice and nursing curricula as a routine nursing intervention for alleviating primary dysmenorrhea.