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 .
Moxibustion for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial
Background Though moxibustion is frequently used to treat primary dysmenorrhea in China , relevant evidence supporting its effectiveness is still scanty . Methods This study was a pragmatic r and omized , conventional drug controlled , open-labeled clinical trial . After initial screen , 152 eligible participants were averagely r and omized to receive two different treatment strategies : Moxibustion and conventional drugs . Participants and practitioners were not blinded in this study . The duration of each treatment was 3 months . The primary outcome was pain relief measured by the Visual Analogue Scale . The menstrual pain severity was recorded in a menstrual pain diary . Results 152 eligible patients were included but only 133 of them eventually completed the whole treatment course . The results showed that the menstrual pain intensity in experimental group and control group was reduced from 6.38±1.28 and 6.41±1.29 , respectively , at baseline , to 2.54±1.41 and 2.47±1.29 after treatment . The pain reduction was not significantly different between these two groups ( P = 0.76 ) , however ; the pain intensity was significantly reduced relative to baseline for each group ( P<0.01 ) . Three months after treatment , the effectiveness of moxibustion sustained and started to be superior to the drug ’s effect ( -0.87 , 95%CI -1.32 to -0.42 , P<0.01 ) . Secondary outcome analyses showed that moxibustion  was as effective as drugs in alleviating menstrual pain-related symptoms . The serum levels of pain mediators , such as PGF2α , OT , vWF , β-EP , PGE2 , were significantly improved after treatment in both groups ( P<0.05 ) . No adverse events were reported in this trial . Conclusions Both moxibustion and conventional drug showed desirable merits in managing menstrual pain , given their treatment effects and economic costs . This study as a pragmatic trial only demonstrates the effectiveness , not the efficacy , of moxibustion for menstrual pain . It ca n’t rule out the effect of psychological factors during treatment process , because no blind procedure or sham control was used due to availability . In clinical practice , moxibustion should be used at the discretion of patients and their physicians . Trial registration ClinialTrials.gov
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 .