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Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
Practicing Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Menstrual Symptoms Both During In-Person and Synchronous Online Teaching.
Erik Peper1, Richard Harvey2, Singing Chen2
1Institute for Holistic Health Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA. epeper@sfsu.edu.
Diaphragmatic breathing significantly reduced painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) in university students. This non-pharmacological self-care method, practiced daily, offers scalable benefits for menstrual symptom management.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Mind-Body Medicine
- Stress Management
Background:
- Dysmenorrhea significantly impacts women's physical and mental well-being, affecting daily life.
- Millions of women experience dysmenorrhea, leading to reduced productivity and quality of life.
- Current management often relies on pharmacological interventions, with a need for non-pharmacological alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of diaphragmatic breathing exercises in reducing dysmenorrhea symptoms.
- To explore the relationship between a stress-management program incorporating breathing techniques and menstrual pain relief.
- To assess the scalability of diaphragmatic breathing for broader populations.
Main Methods:
- A university stress-management program involving 75 female students.
- An intervention group (n=49) practiced 30 minutes of daily diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation for five weeks.
- A comparison group (n=26) received no specific intervention.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in menstrual symptoms compared to the control group (p=0.0008).
- No significant difference in outcomes was observed between in-person and online instruction delivery.
- Daily practice of diaphragmatic breathing for 30 minutes demonstrated effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Diaphragmatic breathing is a viable non-pharmacological self-care strategy for managing dysmenorrhea.
- The technique is scalable and can be implemented beyond student populations.
- Recommendations include integrating self-care and menstrual management education for young women.
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