A randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of applying a simple acupressure protocol to the Taichong point in relieving dysmenorrhea.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether applying a simple acupressure protocol to the Taichong point is effective in relieving dysmenorrhea.


METHODS
In this single-blind trial 194 students with dysmenorrhea were randomized to receive acupressure 5 days before menstruation for 3 months on either the Taichong or a placebo point. The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed in the first and last of the 4 study cycles using the Andersch and Milsom scale. The χ(2) test, t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analysis.


RESULTS
The difference in dysmenorrhea severity between the 2 groups was not significant in the first cycle but it was significant in the fourth cycle (U = 2377.00, P<0.001), and the decrease in dysmenorrhea severity was also significant in the study group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Applying a simple pressure protocol to the Taichong acupoint was an effective and inexpensive way of decreasing the severity of dysmenorrhea.
Bazarganipour
Fatemeh
F
Department of Midwifery, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Lamyian
Minoor
M
Heshmat
Reza
R
Abadi
Mohamad Asghari Jaafar
MA
Taghavi
Abdolvahab
A
D019050:Acupressure; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000293:Adolescent; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D055815:Young Adult