Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture (AP) in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea (PD).A clinical prospective, placebo-controlled trial included 57 women with PD. Of these, 30 were treated with manual AP points: Du 20 (Baihui), bilateral Li 4 (Hegu), Ren 3 (Zhongji), Ren 4 (Guanyuan), Ren 6 (Qihai), bilateral Gb 34 (Yanglingquan), bilateral Ub 23 (Shenshu), bilateral Lp 6 (Sanyinjao) and auriculoacupuncture points (Shenmen); 27 women were treated with placebo AP. AP treatments were considered successful if PD did not occur any more, medication of PD became unnecessary or PD symptoms did not occur for 2 years after the AP treatment.The occurrence of PD in nulliparae was statistically relevant (p < 0.001). Statistically relevant was also the decrease in medication in women to whom AP had been applied (p < 0.0001), which was not the case in the placebo group (p > 0.5).The success rate of AP for the treatment of PD symptoms within 1 year after the AP treatment is 93.3% in the first group and 3.7% in the placebo group.