Effects of red ginger capsule supplementin reducing PGF2α concentrations and pain intensity in primary dysmenorrhea

Abstract

Primary dysmenorrhea is a gynecological disorder which most commonly occurs like a pain in the initial menstruation. One ofthe attempts to handle dysmenorrhea is by using anon-pharmacological method such as herbal therapy which uses red ginger. The research was at Akbid and Akper Harapan Mama, Deli Serdang Regency, with pre-experimental design and one group pretest-posttest. The samples were 32 female students as the respondents, taken by using non-probability or consecutive sampling technique. PGF2a content measurement by ELISA, theintensity of pain by Visual Analogue Scale and analyzed by using Wilcoxon test. PGF2α content before giving red ginger capsule supplement median was 156.50 pg/ml (min-max: 57-1037 pg/ml), after giving it was 101 (min-max: 22-785), pain intensity before giving it in the mean score of 2 was 15 respondents (47%), after giving it in the mean score of 0 was 14 respondents (44%). The result of statistic test on PGF2α content before and after giving it was p-value = 0.001, and pain intensity before and after giving it was p < 0.001 which indicated that there was asignificant decrease in PGF2α and pain intensity after giving it. Red ginger capsule supplement could decrease PGF2α content during primary dysmenorrhea.