Can acupuncture help menstrual pain?

It is estimated that about 50-95% of women in reproductive age suffer from menstrual pain aka dysmenorrhea. Symptoms may involve cramping, lower back or abdominal pain, nausea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and vomiting. Most women report menstrual up to 72 hours before start of menses and some report pain continuing thru menses.

The cause may include primary dysmenorrhea (when all other testing and labs do not find underlying cause), pelvic inflammatory disease, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and other causes such as gastrointestinal or urinary in origin.

Standard treatment options are vast but most commonly include recommendation of over the counter pain relief medication yet up to 25% of women report no relief with standard recommendations and seek alternative options.

Acupuncture can help!

What does the research say?

There is more and more research being published that show exactly how acupuncture may help women’s health issues. Acupuncture has been shown to help reduce chronic pain, ease inflammation, help to regulate hormones, and enhance fertility and IVF success.

One study looked at how acupuncture compared to use of NSAIDs for dysmenorrhea. It found that in six of seven studies examined, acupuncture was associated with reduced pain scores compared to NSAIDs (Han, 2012).

Researchers have recently pinpointed a specific acupuncture point (SP6) which they have linked to dysmenorrhea. They found that SP6 can help to alleviate symptoms of dysmenorrhea including cramping and low back pain. Researchers noted that “tenderness at Sanyinjiao (SP6) exists in women undergoing primary dysmenorrhea.” This research also confirms that acupuncture in conjunction with moxibustion is more effective than ibuprofen alone, for treating menstrual pain. This research may provide hope and significant relief for any woman suffering from regular dysmenorrhea and menstrual pain.

If you suffer from menstrual pain, we can help! Give us a call today at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your initial consultation.

Sources:

Uptodate.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8406933/

https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1414-acupuncture-point-sensitivity-linked-to- menstrual-pain

Han TJ. Study on methods of combination of acupuncture with moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhoea. Chinese Journal of Basic Medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine 2012;18(12):1383‐4.