Dysmenorrhea Primary
Conditions
Keywords
acupuncture, pain, quality of life
Brief summary
The main aim is to investigate the effects of acupuncture on pain intensity and health-related quality of life in women with primary dysmenorrhea.
Detailed description
In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 64 women with primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group (AG; n = 30) or a control group (CG; n = 34). The AG received manual body acupuncture every other day for three menstrual cycles (five sessions per cycle, total of 15 sessions), starting 3-4 days before menstruation in each cycle. The CG received routine recommendations without additional intervention. Pain intensity, functional and emotional impact, and quality of life were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale (FEDS), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Measurements were performed at baseline and on days 30, 60, and 90.
Interventions
OTHERacupuncture
classical body acupuncture with needle without electrical stimulation
DRUGNSAIDs
NSAID therapy (400 mg ibuprofen three times daily during menstruation) and routine follow-up
Sponsors
Ataturk University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* to be women aged 18-35 years with a confirmed diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea for at least one year * regular menstrual cycles (28 ± 7 days) * a VAS score ≥4 in the previous cycle
Exclusion criteria
* secondary dysmenorrhea * currently pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding * used oral contraceptives or intrauterine devices in the last 3 months, * received acupuncture in the past 6 months, had open wounds at acupuncture points * presented with severe psychiatric disorder or cognitive impairment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Analog Scale (VAS) | 3 months | Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity and, therefore, a worse outcome. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale (FEDS) | 3 months | The Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale (FEDS) consists of 14 items, with total scores ranging from 14 to 70. Higher scores indicate greater functional and emotional impairment associated with dysmenorrhea and, therefore, a worse outcome. |
| Short Form-36 (SF-36) | 3 months | Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), which comprises eight domains. Each domain is scored from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life and, therefore, a better outcome. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed