Acupuncture & Dysmenorrhea: An RCT
Did you know that acupuncture has been shown to help relieve painful periods, greatly diminishing patient’s symptoms! Painful periods affect approximately 25-50% of adult women, and approximately 75% of adolescents experiencing pain with menstruation (Shetty, Shetty, & Mooventhan, 2018). .
In a recent randomized control trial (RCT), a study was conducted that randomly split 60 women, ages 17-23, into two groups, a control and a study group. Both groups reported equal pain ranges and symptoms, which included high pain VAS values for menstrual cramps, headaches, dizziness, feeling faint, mood changes, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. The study group received acupuncture for the duration of 20 minutes a day for 15 days a month for the period of 90 days. The control group did not receive any acupuncture, but instead continued their own therapies, such as taking over the counter pain medicine like “Advil”. The results of this RCT were the study group which received acupuncture reported a significant decrease in their reported symptoms, which included menstrual cramps, headaches, dizziness, feeling faint, mood changes, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. The control group did not see a significant change in their symptoms (Shetty, Shetty, & Mooventhan, 2018).
How can this be? Acupuncture has been proven to have a central analgesic effect for pain relief. Biomedically, acupuncture effects the metabolism of substrates involved in the ascending faciliatory pathways and descending inhibitory pain pathways. This means, acupuncture calls into action and influences the distribution of CNS endogenous opioids such as endorphins and enkephalins, to help reduce pain and stress in the body, as well as effecting tissue reflect and altering the flow of blood and circulation (Shetty, Shetty, & Mooventhan, 2018).
If you are interested in hearing more about the efficacy and low risk of acupuncture treatment, book your next appointment to learn more!
Shetty GB, Shetty B, Mooventhan A. Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2018 Aug;11(4):153-158. doi: 10.1016/j.jams.2018.04.001. Epub 2018 Apr 12. PMID: 29654840.
