RESULTS The instruments most frequently used were single-item VAS and Biberoglu and Behrman pain score , while multidimensional inventories were used in few studies .
The results of clinical studies in CPP are more frequently based on one-dimensional measurements .
RATIONALE Many types of  pain assessment are available to research ers carrying out clinical trials in chronic pelvic pain ( CPP ) , ranging from a single-item scale to multidimensional inventories .
AIM Our objective was to investigate which assessment s of pain are more commonly used in clinical trials on CPP .
Is acupuncture in addition to conventional medicine effective as pain treatment for endometriosis? A randomised controlled cross-over trial.
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to examine whether acupuncture is an effective additional pain treatment for endometriosis . STUDY DESIGN One hundred and one women aged 20 - 40 years participated and were r and omised into two groups , each receiving two units of 10 acupuncture treatments , twice a week over a period of five weeks . Group 1 ( n = 47 ) received verum-acupuncture during the first series , and group 2 ( n = 54 ) received non-specific acupuncture . After the first unit of 10 treatments , an observation period of at least two menstruation cycles was set , followed by a second unit , according to a cross-over design . Prior to the study ( during a two-week run-in period ) the patients ' actual  pain intensity was surveyed . Throughout the study period , participants were asked to keep a ' pain protocol ' , in which they defined and recorded their pain according to the 10-point visual analogue scale ( VAS ) . RESULTS Eighty-three out of a total of 101 patients finished the study . Group 1 showed a significant reduction of pain intensity after the first 10 treatments . In comparison , group 2 showed significant pain relief only after the cross-over . CONCLUSION Acupuncture treatment on specific acupuncture points appears to be an effective pain treatment for endometriosis , but this has to be confirmed in further study
RESULTS The instruments most frequently used were single-item VAS and Biberoglu and Behrman pain score , while multidimensional inventories were used in few studies .
The results of clinical studies in CPP are more frequently based on one-dimensional measurements .
RATIONALE Many types of  pain assessment are available to research ers carrying out clinical trials in chronic pelvic pain ( CPP ) , ranging from a single-item scale to multidimensional inventories .
AIM Our objective was to investigate which assessment s of pain are more commonly used in clinical trials on CPP .