title: [Observation on immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) only or multi-acupoints in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the different therapeutic effect between acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) only and multi acupoints on dysmenorrhea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty eight cases were randomly divided into a single acupoint group and a multi-acupoints group, 19 cases in each group. The single acupoint group was treated by acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) only, and the multi-acupoints group by acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Diji (SP 8), Ciliao (BL 32). They were all treated from the first day when sudden intense pain occurs, one time each day, for 3 days in each menstrual cycle, the treatment of three menstrual cycles. The therapeutic effect and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were compared and the score of general frequency and severity of dysmenorrhea by using Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cured rate was 68.4% (13/19) and the effective rate was 31.6% (6/19) in the single acupoint group, being similar to 78.9% (15/19) and 21.1% (4/19) in the multi-acupoints group (P > 0.05). VAS and the scores of general frequency and severity of dysmenorrhea were all significantly decreased after treatment in both groups (all P < 0.001), with no significant difference between the two groups (all P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) only can be as effective as selecting multi-acupoints to cure essential dysmenorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Shandong Institute of TCM, Jinan 250014, China. lymdf@sohu.com
authors.forename: Yan-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Wen-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Shao Zong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D055815:Young Adult