2021 Frontiers in Medicine
Adding acupuncture to conventional therapy may decrease the subsequent endometriosis risk in female rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Acupuncture for Period Pain & Endometriosis
Period pain is experienced by most women throughout their menstrual years. While many women take painkillers to manage their period pain, Chinese medicine regards that a healthy period should not be painful.
Minor cramps and discomfort from time to time is not uncommon, however, experiencing strong pain that affects day-to-day activities is not normal.
Period pain without any identifiable medical cause may be diagnosed as primary dysmenorrhoea or caused by endometriosis and less commonly fibroids or adenomyosis.
What is our clinical experience?
Based on feedback collected from over 858 initial appointments for Irregular Menstruation & Period Pain, 95% of our surveyed patients reported improved quality of life after their first 6 appointments. See our detailed benchmarking statistics.
InitialConsults
858
AverageAppointments
6
ImprovedQuality of Life
95%
Refer Family &Friends
96%
Who have we treated with this condition?
The age groups and genders we see most frequently with this condition. Note: this chart only represents the people who seek treatment at Ping Ming Health clinics for this condition.
- Female (100%)
- Male (0%)
| Age | Female % | Male % |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 13 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 14 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 15 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 16 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 17 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 18 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 19 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 20 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 21 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 22 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 23 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 24 | 1.3 | 0 |
| 25 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 26 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | 1.5 | 0 |
| 29 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 | 3.11 | 0 |
| 31 | 2.91 | 0 |
| 32 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 33 | 3.81 | 0 |
| 34 | 5.11 | 0 |
| 35 | 4.81 | 0 |
| 36 | 3.41 | 0 |
| 37 | 3.51 | 0 |
| 38 | 4.81 | 0 |
| 39 | 4.41 | 0 |
| 40 | 4.71 | 0 |
| 41 | 5.01 | 0 |
| 42 | 4.01 | 0 |
| 43 | 4.21 | 0 |
| 44 | 3.71 | 0 |
| 45 | 4.11 | 0 |
| 46 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 47 | 2.81 | 0 |
| 48 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 49 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 50 | 2.1 | 0 |
| 51 | 1.2 | 0 |
| 52 | 1.8 | 0 |
| 53 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 54 | 1.3 | 0 |
| 55 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 56 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 57 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 58 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 59 | 0.6 | 0 |
| 60 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 61 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 63 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 66 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 68 | 0.1 | 0 |
How many sessions of treatment?
The average number of appointments that patients attend for this condition. Some conditions respond quickly while others may require ongoing treatment.
Which types of treatments?
The types of treatments that are most frequently provided for this condition. Some treatments may be used in combination at the same time.
What does the research say?
The following insights are obtained from systematic reviews and analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of Chinese medicine and acupuncture for period pain & endometriosis.
2020 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The current evidence suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion is more effective than ibuprofen or Fenbid in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea.
2018 Reproductive Health
Endometriosis, often seen as benign, is linked to infertility and metastatic cancer, and shows different risk factors and treatment responses in Asian and European-American women.
2018 Medicine
Acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs.
2017 BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Acupoint-stimulation can relieve pain effectively in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea and offers advantages compared with treatment by NSAIDs.
2016 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
The review found limited consistent evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture for relieving menstrual pain compared to sham treatments or other interventions.
2016 Maturitas
Meta-analysis showed that Danggui Shaoyao San had superior effects compared to analgesics for treating primary dysmenorrhea.
2016 Journal of Pain Research
Acupuncture could be tried as a complement in the treatment of pain in endometriosis as it is an overall safe treatment.
2015 Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies
Acupressure showed evidence of pain relief while acupuncture improved both the mental and the physical components of quality of life associated with primary dysmenorrhea.
2011 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Acupuncture shows potential for reducing dysmenorrhoea scores in endometriosis patients.
2010 Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
Acupuncture-related therapies may have potential as an intervention for primary dysmenorrhea.
Seek personalised healthcare and advice
Although well-conducted clinical research can help members of the public to make better-informed decisions about their healthcare, we cannot claim that any particular treatment may be effective for any individual person.
When you consult with our Chinese medicine practitioners, you’ll receive personalised advice and treatment based on your symptoms and Chinese medicine diagnosis.
Research papers
Browse our collection of scientific clinical research on acupuncture for period pain & endometriosis.
It includes recent and reputable papers published by peer-reviewed journals within the last 10 years.
2021, Feb 22
The Relationship of Acupuncture Use to the Endometriosis Risk in Females With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Real-World Evidence From Population-Based Health Claims
Frontiers in Medicine
Findings suggest that adding acupuncture to conventional therapy may decrease the subsequent endometriosis risk in female RA patients. Prospective randomized trials are recommended to further clarify whether the association revealed in this study supports a causal link.
Chen Wei-Jen, Livneh Hanoch, Hsu Chien-Hui, Hu Ying-To, Lai Ning-Sheng, Guo How-Ran, Tsai Tzung-Yi Full Article
2020, Apr 29
Effectiveness and Safety of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Primary Dysmenorrhea: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture and moxibustion seem to be effective and safe approaches in treatment of primary dysmenorrhea; yet, the methodological quality of most of the studies and the quality of evidence were low. Thus, additional studies are required to further confirm these results.
Jun Yang, Jun Xiong, Ting Yuan, Xue Wang, Yunfeng Jiang, Xiaohong Zhou, Kai Liao, Lingling Xu Full Article
2018, May 21
A review of the risk factors, genetics and treatment of endometriosis in Chinese women: a comparative update
Reproductive Health
Although Western medicine has been studied and validated more extensively for the treatment of endometriosis, both TCM and Western medicine are used equally in the treatment of endometriosis in Chinese women.
Dai Y, Li X, Shi J, Leng J Full Article
2018, Jun
The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea
Medicine
The results of this study suggest that acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs, and the efficacy could be maintained during a short-term follow-up period. Despite limitations due to the low quality and methodological restrictions of the included studies, acupuncture might be used as an effective and safe treatment for females with primary dysmenorrhea.
Woo HL, Ji HR, Pak YK, Lee H, Heo SJ, Lee JM, Park KS Full Article
2017, Aug 31
Effects of acupoint-stimulation for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea compared with NSAIDs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
The study indicated that acupoint-stimulation can relieve pain effectively for primary dysmenorrhoe patients. Compared with NASIDS group patients, acupuncture patients had less side effects and it offers advantages in increasing the overall effectiveness
Xu, Y., Zhao, W., Li, T. et al. Full Article
2016, Apr 18
Acupuncture for dysmenorrhoea
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Cochrane
There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether or not acupuncture or acupressure are effective in treating primary dysmenorrhoea, and for most comparisons no data were available on adverse events. The quality of the evidence was low or very low for all comparisons. The main limitations were risk of bias, poor reporting, inconsistency and risk of publication bias
Smith CA, Armour M, Zhu X, Li X, Lu ZY, Song J Full Article
2016, Mar
Herbal medicine (Danggui Shaoyao San) for treating primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Maturitas European Menopause and Andropause Society
Our systematic review and meta-analysis provided suggestive evidence of the superiority of DSS over analgesics or placebo for dysmenorrhea. The quality of evidence for this finding was low to moderate because of a high risk of bias.
Hye Won Lee, Ji Hee Jun, Ki-Jung Kil, Byong-Seob Ko, Choong Hwan Lee, Myeong Soo Lee Full Article
2016, Mar 20
Is acupuncture effective in the treatment of pain in endometriosis?
Journal of Pain Research American Society of Pain & Neuroscience
This study indicated that acupuncture is effective in treating endometriosis related pain. Patients reported to have having reduced long-term pain conditions.
Lund I, Lundeberg T Full Article
2015, Oct
As Acupressure Decreases Pain, Acupuncture May Improve Some Aspects of Quality of Life for Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies Medical Association of Pharmacopuncture Institute
Acupressure showed evidence of pain relief while acupuncture improved both the mental and the physical components of quality of life. In conclusion, physiotherapists should consider using acupuncture and acupressure to treat primary dysmenorrhea, but a need exists for higher quality, randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trials with adequate sample sizes to establish clearly the effects of these modalities.
Abaraogu UO, Tabansi-Ochuogu CS Full Article
2011, Sept 07
Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Cochrane
There is not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain in endometriosis based on the results of the single RCT included in this review. While the results of this trial (Xiang 2002) did show that auricular acupuncture decreased pain from endometriosis in comparison to Chinese herbal medicine, the overall low‐quality of methodology makes broad implications for practice difficult to determine.
Zhu X, Hamilton KD, McNicol ED Full Article
2010, Dec 31
Systematic review of clinical trials of acupuncture-related therapies for primary dysmenorrhea
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Acupuncture may be more effective for patients with dysmenorrhea compared with ibuprofen or analgesic drugs. However, the low methodologic quality and small sample size do not have convincing evidence for moxibustion or acupressure is as effective as other interventions.
Yang, H., Liu, C.-Z., Chen, X., Ma, L.-X., Xie, J.-P., Guo, N.-N., Ma, Z.-B., Zheng, Y.-Y., Zhu, J., & Liu, J.-P. Full Article
It is by virtue of the twelve channels that human life exists, that disease arises, that human beings can be treated and illness cured. The twelve channels are where beginners start and masters end.