Acupuncture for Primary Dysmenorrhea

The Effect Of Acupuncture On Pain And Quality Of Life in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized-Controlled Study

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07590232

Enrollment

Registered

2026-05-15

Start date

2022-04-01

Completion date

2022-12-31

Last updated

2026-05-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Dysmenorrhea Primary

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

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

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	VAS measures pain severity

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
The Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale (FEDS)	3 months	FEDS evaluates the multidimensional impact of dysmenorrhea on participants' daily functioning and emotional well-being
Short Form-36 (SF-36)	3 months	SF-36 measures quality of life.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 16, 2026