EA was superior to pharmacological treatment when the treatment duration lasted for three menstrual cycles , evidence d by significantly higher curative rate .
No statistically significant differences between EA at SP6 and control groups were found regarding the VRS , RSS-COX1 , and RSS-COX2 .
The findings of our study suggested that EA can provide considerable immediate analgesia effect for PD .
Electroacupuncture ( EA ) is considered to be a promising alternative therapy to relieve the menstrual pain for primary dysmenorrhea ( PD ) , but the conclusion is controversial .
Here , we conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis specifically to evaluate the clinical efficacy from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) on the use of EA in patients with PD .
Efficacy of Acupuncture versus Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill in Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This open-label r and omized controlled trial was design ed to compare the efficacy of acupuncture and combined oral contraceptive ( COC ) pill in treating moderate-to-severe primary dysmenorrhea . Fifty-two participants were r and omly assigned to receive either acupuncture ( n = 27 ) or COC ( n = 25 ) for three menstrual cycles . Mefenamic acid was prescribed as a recue analgesic drug with both groups . The statistical approach used for efficacy and safety assessment s was intention-to-treat analysis . By the end of the study , both treatments had result ed in significant improvement over baselines in all outcomes , that is , maximal dysmenorrhea pain scores , days suffering from dysmenorrhea , amount of rescue analgesic used , and quality of life assessed by SF-36 question naire . Over the three treatment cycles , COC caused greater reduction in maximal pain scores than acupuncture , while improvements in the remaining outcomes were comparable . Responders were defined as participants whose maximal dysmenorrhea pain scores decreased at least 33 % below their baseline . Response rates following both interventions at the end of the study were not statistically different . Acupuncture commonly caused minimal local side effects but did not cause any hormone-related side effects as did COC . In conclusion , acupuncture is an alternative option for relieving dysmenorrhea , especially when COC is not a favorable choice
EA was superior to pharmacological treatment when the treatment duration lasted for three menstrual cycles , evidence d by significantly higher curative rate .
No statistically significant differences between EA at SP6 and control groups were found regarding the VRS , RSS-COX1 , and RSS-COX2 .
The findings of our study suggested that EA can provide considerable immediate analgesia effect for PD .
Electroacupuncture ( EA ) is considered to be a promising alternative therapy to relieve the menstrual pain for primary dysmenorrhea ( PD ) , but the conclusion is controversial .
Here , we conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis specifically to evaluate the clinical efficacy from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) on the use of EA in patients with PD .