Abstract

Introduction. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oral aloe vera gel pills supplementation on the intensity of menstrual pain. A randomized, single-blind clinical experimental plan was conducted amongst 150 single students aged 20 to 26 years who suffered from menstrual pain, at the Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences from December 24, 2015 to October 22, 2016. The extent of pain was evaluated using the Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSC). Material and method. Each participant was randomly assigned to aloe vera gel pill or the anti-PG drug Ibuprofen, ending with 60 participants in each group equally. The first trial group received 10 mg of aloe vera gel orally four times daily until the pain grade reached one or less. The control group received Ibuprofen and three tablets orally three times a day. The participants were permitted to take another drug that they usually took for their pain relief, in addition to the allocated treatment in case of continued pain. At the end of the trial, these participants were excluded in data analysis. Results and discussions. Changes in the grade and the duration of the pain of participants were compared at the first and second months in both groups. Sample size was computed using alpha = 5 and absolute error equal to 0.24 for correlation between medication and pain with acceptable absolute precision formula (AAPF). Result of this study showed that the mean age was 22.1 +/- 1.4and 20.4 +/- 1.2 years in aloe vera gel pills and Ibuprofen groups, respectively. No significant difference was observed for the matched characteristics studied between the treated groups. the mean pain grade amongst aloe vera group was decreased from 2.81 +/- 0.65 to 2.02 +/- 0.34, while in Ibuprofen group from 2.48 +/- 0.4 to 1.32 +/- 0.15, respectively, using the described given dose. As result obtained that there was no statistically significant decrease in pain duration for the women who received Ibuprofen compared to those who used aloe vera. Also there was no significant difference in pain grade between the groups at the second month of intervention (p=0.61). Pain duration at the second month of trial was similar between the both groups (p=0.76). Conclusions. In conclusion we could suggest that aloe vera gel pill as a novel herbal pain killer represents an effective treatment for the menstrual pain with no important side effects, although further clinical trials are recommended to look at the possible side effects in an extended spectrum of subjects.