Primary Dysmenorrhea Intensity Between Stretching Abdominal Therapy and Acupuncture to Adolescent Girls

Menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea is known as cramping pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation experienced by some women. Abdominal stretching exercises and acupressure can reduce dysmenorrhea. This research aims to determine the difference in the intensity of primary menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) between abdominal stretching therapy and acupressure for adolescent girls in a Senior High School in Denpasar. The method applied in this research is a Quasi-Experimental two-groups pretest-posttest design. The research sample was grouped into two, namely 70 high school students in the abdominal stretching therapy and 70 students in acupressure therapy. The data were collected using the Numerical Rating Scales or NRS. The data were then analysed using the Wilcoxon test and Mann Whitney test. The result of the research showed that there was a significant difference in dysmenorrhea before and after abdominal stretching therapy (p=0.000). Also, there was a significant difference in dysmenorrhea before and after acupressure therapy (p=0.000). There was no difference in dysmenorrhea before applying abdominal stretching therapy and acupressure with a p-value=0.335. Also, there was no difference in dysmenorrhea after both therapies were undergone in two groups (p=0,111). The difference test on the difference between the pre-test and post-test obtained p-value = 0.012. Hence, there was a significant difference in decreasing dysmenorrhea between abdominal stretching therapy and acupressure (p=0.012). Conclusion: there is a significant difference in reducing dysmenorrhea between abdominal stretching therapy and acupressure. Suggestion: further research is necessary to conduct by using time series design.