Acupuncture as an Adjunct Treatment for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Comparative Study.
Primary dysmenorrhea occurs 40%-50% in women of reproductive age. Acupuncture may assist treatment of menstrual pain.



This study compared the effects of the acupuncture programChongmai, or Thoroughfare Vessel (TV), to sham acupuncture on primary dysmenorrhea.



The current authors selected 3 groups of 10 patients each with primary dysmenorrhea for this comparative, prospective longitudinal study. The first group was treated at the TV points, the second group underwent sham acupuncture, and the third group (control) did not receive any kind of acupuncture. All groups were allowed to use steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Menstrual pain was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The results were analyzed using a Student's-ttest in GraphPad Prism 5.0. Acupuncture needles were applied at the following TV acupuncture points: (1)Gongsun(SP 4); (2)Qichong(ST30); (3)Neiguan(PC 6); and (4)Baihuanshu(BL 30), the metameric action point of the pelvic area. Electrical stimulation was applied through each needle at 120 Hz for 40 minutes.



TV acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and/or NSAIDs substantially reduced pain in all 10 patients in each respective group (100%). TV acupuncture treatment reduced the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea, and symptoms were reduced for at least 6 months. Application of needles at simulated points away from the TV acupuncture program did not reduce pain significantly.



TV acupuncture treatment can reduce the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea, and the effect can last for 6 months.
Graduate Division of Biological Sciences and Health, Autonomous Metropolitan University-Iztapalapa , Juarez, DF, Mexico .
Miguel de Jesús
MD
Reyes-Campos
FES-Iztacala-National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, EdoMex, Mexico .
Livia Gabriela
LG
Díaz-Toral
FES-Iztacala-National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, EdoMex, Mexico .
Silvia Leticia
SL
Verdín-Terán
FES-Iztacala-National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, EdoMex, Mexico .
Eunice Sonia
ES
Orozco-Suárez
FES-Iztacala-National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, EdoMex, Mexico .
Patricia
P
López-Ramírez
IMSS-Mexican Social Security Institute , UMF-62, Cuautitlan, EdoMex, Mexico .
Antonio
A
Pineda-Carranza
Neuropsychiatric Institute of Yucatan , Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico .
Patricio Guillermo
PG
Basulto-Sosa
Department of Liaison Psychiatry, O'Horan General Hospital , Mérida, Yucatan, México.
Primo F
PF
Reyes-Campos
Chongmai; Pelvic Pain; Primary Dysmenorrhea; Sham Acupuncture; Thoroughfare Vessel (TV)