The influence of acupuncture on reducing primary dysmenorrhoea: a randomised controlled trial

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The medical, social and economic consequences of dysmenorrhoea are substantial and the prevalence studies emphasise dysmenorrhoea is an important women's health issue. The growing use of unproven complementary and alternative therapies by consumers highlights the need for scientifically rigorous research to identify those complementary and alternative therapies that are effective and safe. The Cochrane systematic review and small controlled trials suggest acupuncture may have a role in alleviating dysmenorrhoea. There is clearly a need for a large, pragmatic, well designed, randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture on dysmenorrhoea. The primary hypotheses of this study are that the use of acupuncture in women with dysmenorrhoea compared with sham acupuncture will 1. be effective at reducing their symptoms of dysmenorrhoea as measured by: a) reduced pain and duration of pain, b) reduced need for pain relief, c) an overall improvement in their symptoms, 2. improve their quality of life, as measured by a) improved quality of life indices, b) reduced time off work or from school, c) less restriction on daily life activities, d) less side effects from treatment, The secondary hypotheses of the study are the use of acupuncture in women with dysmenorrhoea compared with sham acupuncture will 1. be effective at meeting women’s expectations as measured by a) acceptability of treatment options for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea.

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