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 .
A randomized controlled trial of single point acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea.
BACKGROUND Acupuncture is often used for primary dysmenorrhea . But there is no convincing evidence due to low method ological quality . We aim to assess immediate effect of acupuncture at specific acupoint compared with unrelated acupoint and nonacupoint on primary dysmenorrhea . METHODS The Acupuncture Analgesia Effect in Primary Dysmenorrhoea-II is a multicenter controlled trial conducted in six large hospitals of China . Patients who met inclusion criteria were r and omly assigned to classic acupoint ( N = 167 ) , unrelated acupoint ( N = 167 ) , or non-acupoint ( N = 167 ) group on a 1:1:1 basis . They received three sessions with electro-acupuncture at a classic acupoint ( Sanyinjiao , SP6 ) , or an unrelated acupoint ( Xuanzhong , GB39 ) , or nonacupoint location , respectively . The primary outcome was subjective pain as measured by a 100-mm visual analog scale ( VAS ) . Measurements were obtained at 0 , 5 , 10 , 30 , and 60 minutes following the first intervention . In addition , patients scored changes of general complaints using Cox retrospective symptom scales ( RSS-Cox ) and 7-point verbal rating scale ( VRS ) during three menstrual cycles . Secondary outcomes included VAS score for average pain , pain total time , additional in-bed time , and proportion of participants using analgesics during three menstrual cycles . FINDINGS Five hundred and one people underwent r and om assignment . The primary comparison of VAS scores following the first intervention demonstrated that classic acupoint group was more effective both than unrelated acupoint ( -4.0 mm , 95 % CI -7.1 to -0.9 , P = 0.010 ) and nonacupoint ( -4.0 mm , 95 % CI -7.0 to -0.9 , P = 0.012 ) groups . However , no significant differences were detected among the three acupuncture groups for RSS-Cox or VRS outcomes . The per- protocol analysis showed similar pattern . No serious adverse events were noted . CONCLUSION Specific acupoint acupuncture produced a statistically , but not clinical ly , significant effect compared with unrelated acupoint and nonacupoint acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients . Future studies should focus on effects of multiple points acupuncture on primary dysmenorrhea
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 .