Auricular acupuncture on uterus, endocrine, sympathetic, liver, abdominal acupoints for pain relief in patients with dysmenorrhea

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem among menstruating women. It may cause physical distress, affect physical activity and quality of life. Nowadays, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) remains as a core treatment for dysmenorrhea. However, using NSAID for a long period of time involves many concerned side effects and a high failure rate. Therefore, non-drug treatment for dysmenorrhea including auricular acupuncture gains a lot of attention over time. Despite being a favoured therapy for many diseases, the role of auricular acupuncture in treatment of dysmenorrhea has not yet well investigated. This study was conducted to observe the improvement of period pain with VAS score and dysmenorrhea duration before and after applying auricular acupuncture. In a case series report, the authors applied auricular acupuncture on 42 female students with dysmenorrhea who were recruited and assigned to the experimental group. The experimental group received auricular acupuncture for 4 days (2 days before menstrual period, and 2 days after menstrual period). The improvement of period pain with VAS score and dysmenorrhea duration were observed.