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Effects of Somatic Movement Therapy vs Core Strengthening in Premenstrual Syndrome

NCT07642232 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 36

Last updated 2026-06-11

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a multifactorial disorder affecting women of reproductive age, causing physical discomfort, emotional instability, and reduced quality of life. This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the effects of Somatic Movement Therapy (SMT) and Core Strengthening Exercises (CSE) on symptom severity, perceived stress, and quality of life in 34 female participants aged 18-35 years diagnosed with PMS according to ACOG criteria. Group A will receive SMT, while Group B will perform CSE over a 6-week program. Outcomes will be measured using PSST, PSS-10, and WHOQOL-BREF, with data analyzed through SPSS version 27.

Conditions

Interventions

OTHER

Group A (Somatic Movement Therapy)

Participants allocated to Group A will receive a structured Somatic Movement Therapy (SMT) program specifically designed to manage the physiological and psychological manifestations of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Each session will begin with a centering and breath awareness phase lasting 5 to 10 minutes, wherein diaphragmatic breathing is emphasized to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce sympathetic overdrive commonly observed in PMS. It is followed by 15 to 20 minutes of gentle somatic movements. The session then transitions to a body scan and proprioception segment (5-10 minutes), which includes guided internal sensing of different body parts and their spatial orientation, supported by verbal cues or tactile prompts. The session ends by mindfulness and relaxation period (10-15 minutes) adding guided visualization, body integration or meditative stillness.

OTHER

Group B (Core Strengthening Exercise)

Participants in Group B will engage in a progressive Core Strengthening. The sessions will begin with a 5-10-minute warm-up period, which will include low-intensity aerobic activities, dynamic stretching, and simple joint mobilization exercises. The main activation step will take around 25-30 minutes and consist of guided exercises like abdominal bracing exercises, bridges, planks, and bird-dog variations. The progression will be systematic and start with simple exercises of control bases in week 1-2, then add a challenge by adding movements such as side planks, heel slides, and leg raises in week 3-6. As the participants adapt to he regimen, endurance-oriented movements such as bicycle crunches and superman holds will be incorporated during weeks 4-5 to enhance core stability under fatigue. Every session will be concluded by a recovery time (5-10 minutes). It will consist of four 45-minute sessions per week, 3 times per week, and 6 weeks, totaling 18 sessions per subject.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Riphah International University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Maryam Zahid, MS* · Riphah International University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-05-05
Primary Completion
2026-08-05
Completion
2026-08-15

Countries

  • Pakistan

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07642232 on ClinicalTrials.gov