title: A comparative study on the immediate effects of electroacupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39) and a non-meridian point, on menstrual pain and uterine arterial blood flow, in primary dysmenorrhea patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare the effects of Sanyinjiao (SP6), Xuanzhong (GB39), and an adjacent non-meridian point on menstrual pain and uterine arterial blood flow in primary dysmenorrhea patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design of the study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The setting of the study was the Shandong Institute of Medical Imaging, Jinan, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were 52 women with primary dysmenorrhea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women received electroacupuncture (EA) at SP6 (n=13), GB39 (n=14), and an adjacent non-meridian point (n=12), respectively, for 10 minutes when scored ≥40 on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), and for 30 minutes on the next 2 days. There was no EA in the waiting list group (n=13).
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcomes were menstrual pain, resistance index (RI), and the ratio between peak systolic to end-diastolic flow velocity (S/D) in uterine arteries. Secondary outcomes included verbal rating scale (VRS) and retrospective symptom scale (RSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SP6 group had a highly significant reduction in VAS scores compared with the waiting list group (-23.19mm, 95% confidence interval [CI]-32.06 to -14.33, P<0.0001), GB39 group (-18.58mm, 95% CI -27.29 to -9.88, P<0.0001) and the non-meridian point group (-20.78mm, 95% CI -29.82 to -11.73, P<0.0001), respectively. A significant reduction in VRS scores was found in the SP6 group compared with the GB39 group (P=0.034) and the non-meridian point group (P=0.038). There were no significant differences of RI, S/D-values and RSS scores among the four groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA at SP6 can immediately relieve menstrual pain and minimize the influence of pain on daily life compared with GB39 and an adjacent non-meridian point. The data preliminarily show the specificity of SP6 for the immediate pain relief of primary dysmenorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Liang-Xiao
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xue-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yu-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Shu-Zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*; D055815:Young Adult