The Impact of Shakti Bandha Asanas on Primary Dysmenorrhea Adolescents: A Case Series

Abstract

As a broad term, "Primary Dysmenorrhea" (PD) can be used to describe any individual with disruptive menstruation pain who does not have any evident pelvic abnormalities. Shakti Bandha Asanas (SBA) is a group of nine yogic postures, which are particularly beneficial for toning the pelvic muscles and organs, as well as for managing menstrual issues. The current case series involved documenting the efficacy of Shakti Bandha Asanas for reducing pain intensity among primary dysmenorrhea patients. Standardized self-report assessments of pain intensity and menstrual symptoms were obtained before and after interventions, using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) scales respectively. Three participants with PD practiced the SBA series for twenty-one days per one menstrual cycle (starting from the 5th day of the menstrual cycle) and continued the same practice for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Pre-data was collected before beginning the intervention, and post-data was collected after the 5th day of the next menstruation phase for each participant for all three menstrual cycles. All participants showed reduction in the intensity of menstrual pain along with decreased menstrual symptoms and felt better in their day-to-day lives. Shakti Bandha Asanas has great potential to reduce the symptoms of PD adolescents. Further research should be stimulated in this area to find the exact mechanisms underlying the benefits of Shakti Bandha Asanas on primary dysmenorrhea.