Acupuncture for Primary Dysmenorrhea

NCT07590232 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: TTU-2022-10772
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 64
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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.

Conditions

Dysmenorrhea Primary

Keywords

acupuncture; pain; quality of life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

  VAS measures pain severity

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• The Functional and Emotional Dysmenorrhea Scale (FEDS)

  3 months

• Short Form-36 (SF-36)

  3 months

Study Arms (2)

Acupuncture Group (AG)

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients in the AG received classical body acupuncture. The acupuncture points used were: LI-4, LIV-3, KID-3, SP-6, SP-8, HT-7, LU-9, P-6, BL-57, ST-25,28,29,30,36, GV-20, CV-2,3,4,5,6.

Other: acupuncture

Control Group (CG)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The control group received no acupuncture session but continued NSAID therapy (400 mg ibuprofen three times daily during menstruation) and routine follow-up.

Drug: NSAIDs

Interventions

acupuncture OTHER

classical body acupuncture with needle without electrical stimulation

Acupuncture Group (AG)

NSAIDs DRUG

NSAID therapy (400 mg ibuprofen three times daily during menstruation) and routine follow-up

Control Group (CG)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ataturk University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ataturk University Hospital

Erzurum, 25040, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Interventions

Acupuncture Therapy; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Analgesics; Sensory System Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Pharmacologic Actions; Chemical Actions and Uses; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Therapeutic Uses; Antirheumatic Agents

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prof. Dr.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 11, 2026
• First Posted: May 15, 2026
• Study Start: April 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: October 31, 2022
• Study Completion: December 31, 2022
• Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

TU (1)