Suspended Moxibustion for Primary Dysmenorrhea in Female Medical Students

NCT07799285 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 25.171.SV/PCT-HĐĐĐ
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the analgesic efficacy of suspended moxibustion applied at acupoints CV4 (Guanyuan), CV8 (Shenque), and bilateral SP6 (Sanyinjiao) in female students with primary dysmenorrhea at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In this single-arm pre-post clinical intervention (N=48), participants received daily 20-minute moxibustion sessions starting 7 days before menstruation through the end of the menstrual period, across three consecutive treatment cycles. The primary outcome was change in VAS pain score; secondary outcomes included RSS-COX symptom burden, number of pain days per cycle, and abdominal skin temperature measured by thermal imaging (FLIR C5).

Conditions

Primary Dysmenorrhea

Keywords

moxibustion; suspended moxibustion; acupoint; CV4; CV8; SP6; primary dysmenorrhea; traditional Chinese medicine; pain; medical students; Vietnam

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score

  The Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (RSS-COX) is a validated self-report instrument measuring the frequency and severity of menstrual-related systemic symptoms, including back pain, fatigue, irritability, and headache. Higher scores indicate greater symptom burden.

  Baseline and at the end of Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3 (each menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in RSS-COX (Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale) symptom burden score

  Baseline and at the end of Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3 (each menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days)

• Number of pain days per menstrual cycle

  baseline and after each of three treatment cycles

• Abdominal skin temperature (measured by FLIR C5 thermal imaging camera)

  Immediately before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 15 minutes after (T2) each moxibustion session, assessed throughout Cycles 1 to 3

Study Arms (1)

Moxibustion group

EXPERIMENTAL

All 48 participants received suspended moxibustion at CV4, CV8, and bilateral SP6 for 20 minutes daily, from 7 days before menstruation through the end of the menstrual period, across three consecutive treatment cycles.

Other: Suspended moxibustion at CV4, CV8, SP6

Interventions

Suspended moxibustion at CV4, CV8, SP6 OTHER

Moxa stick suspended 2-3 cm above the skin at acupoints CV4 (Guanyuan), CV8 (Shenque), and bilateral SP6 (Sanyinjiao), targeting a skin temperature of 40-45°C, administered once daily for 20 minutes p

Also known as: Moxibustion group

Moxibustion group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Inclusion Criteria: Aged 18-35 years with a regular menstrual cycle (28 ± 7 days) History of moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea (VAS ≥ 4) in at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles prior to enrolment Willing to participate and providing written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Secondary dysmenorrhea attributable to endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or uterine fibroids (confirmed by abdominal ultrasound) Neurological disorders, immunodeficiency, or uncontrolled bleeding disorders Any systemic medical condition contraindicating moxibustion Use of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors (PGSIs) within two weeks prior to enrolment Pregnancy, lactation, or planned pregnancy within the following 6 months Current use of NSAIDs or oral contraceptives Ongoing or recent moxibustion treatment within 2 weeks prior to registration
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-35 years with a regular menstrual cycle (28 ± 7 days)
• History of moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea (VAS ≥ 4) in at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles prior to enrolment
• Willing to participate and providing written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Secondary dysmenorrhea attributable to endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or uterine fibroids (confirmed by abdominal ultrasound)
• Neurological disorders, immunodeficiency, or uncontrolled bleeding disorders
• Any systemic medical condition contraindicating moxibustion
• Use of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors (PGSIs) within two weeks prior to enrolment
• Pregnancy, lactation, or planned pregnancy within the following 6 months
• Current use of NSAIDs or oral contraceptives
• Ongoing or recent moxibustion treatment within 2 weeks prior to registration

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy: lead

Study Sites (1)

Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Can Tho, Ninh Kieu, 94100, Vietnam

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Interventions

arginyl-threonyl-prolyl-prolyl-prolyl-seryl-glycine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• lan ngoc chi nguyen

  Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 24, 2026
• First Posted: September 2, 2026
• Study Start: December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2026
• Study Completion: July 20, 2026
• Last Updated: September 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ICF, CSR
• Time Frame: Data will be available beginning 6 months after publication and ending 3 years after publication.
• Access Criteria: Data will be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal to achieve the aims approved by the study team. Proposals should be directed to the corresponding author. Requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.

Locations

VN (1)