title: Successful treatment of primary dysmenorrhea by collateral meridian acupressure therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This case report describes the observation of relief from painful dysmenorrhea and its associated symptoms in a female patient having primary dysmenorrhea after collateral meridian acupressure therapy (CMAT) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 36-year-old female patient presented with primary dysmenorrhea (abdominal cramping and referred lower back pain). She previously had taken oral analgesic pills to alleviate her symptoms during the menstrual period. The observation period was 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Collateral meridian acupressure therapy was performed once on the second day of both the first (partial treatment) and fourth (complete treatment) menstrual period. Pain was resolved immediately after partial CMAT treatment during the first menstrual period, but the pain recurred 20 minutes later. Satisfactory results were obtained during the fourth menstrual period after complete CMAT treatment, which were also carried over to the next session (fifth menstrual period). In addition, no oral analgesics were necessary after treatment. However, the symptoms of dysmenorrhea recurred 2 months after treatment (sixth menstrual period).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case report indicates that CMAT treatment may be effective in relieving the associated symptoms of dysmenorrhea. The carryover effect might suggest that there is a potential to produce a long-lasting effect on dysmenorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jui-An
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chih-Shung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Meei-Shyuan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shan-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Shun-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Judy Ju-Yi
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ta-Liang
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D019050:Acupressure / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016740:Meridians; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D016896:Treatment Outcome