Effects of Sp6 acupressure on menstrual pain in young women

Wong CL et al. Effects of SP6 acupressure on pain and menstrual distress in young women with dysmenorrhea (painful periods).
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2010; 16: 64-9.

Conclusion
A controlled trial that aimed to evaluate the effects of acupressure at Sp6 on reducing pain and menstrual distress resulting from dysmenorrhoea (painful periods). Forty participants were assigned to either the acupressure group (n = 19) or the control group (n = 21). The acupressure group received 20 min of SP6 acupressure during the initial intervention session, was taught to perform the technique for themselves and asked to do it twice a day from the first to third days of their menstrual cycle, for 3 months subsequent to the first session. In contrast, the control group was only told to rest. Outcomes were measured using the Pain Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS), the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and the Short-Form Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (SF-MDQ). There was a statistically significant decrease in pain score for PVAS (p = 0.003) and SF-MPQ (p = 0.02) immediately after the 20 min of SP6 acupressure. In the self-care periods, significant reduction of PVAS (p = 0.008), SF-MPQ (p = 0.012), and SF-MDQ (p = 0.024) scores was noted in the third month of post-intervention. The researchers concluded that SP6 acupressure has an immediate pain-relieving effect for dysmenorrhoea. Moreover, acupressure applied to the SP6 acupoint for 3 consecutive months was effective in relieving both the pain and menstrual distress levels resulting from dysmenorrhoea.

Effects of moxibustion on primary dysmenorrhea

Zhu Y et al. Efficacy observation of primary dysmenorrhea treated with isolated-herbal moxibustion on Shenque (CV 8) [Article in Chinese].
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 2010 ; 30: 453-5.

A randomised controlled trial that observed the clinical efficacy on primary dysmenorrhoea treated with moxibustion on Ren 8. One hundred and two women were assigned to a moxibustion group or a western medication group (i.e. analgesic s). In the moxibustion group, 17 patients were cured, 21 improved markedly, 9 improved some and 4 did not improve. In the western medication group corresponding figures were; 7, 11, 21, 12. The total effective rates were 92.2%. with moxibustion versus 76.5% with drugs (p < 0.01). The dysmenorrhoea scores before and after treatment and the side effects profiles were superior with moxibustion (all p< 0.01). The researchers concluded that moxibustion on Ren 8 is superior to oral analgesics for primary dysmenorrhoea, and deserves to be promoted due to its safety advantages, fewer side effect and good patient compliance.