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Effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and low back pain in dysmenorrheic young adult women: an experimental study.

Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
June 1, 2015
Huei-Mein Chen et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to examine the effects of acupressure massage on menstrual distress and low back pain in young adult women with dysmenorrhea.

Results Summary

The experimental group receiving acupressure showed significantly lower menstrual distress and low back pain scores compared to the control group, with high levels of reported relief and satisfaction.

Population

129 young adult female students with dysmenorrhea and low back pain during menstruation.

Effective Dosage

30-minute acupressure sessions three times a week on specific acupoints (SP6, BL32, Liver 3).

Duration

12 months (including follow-up).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (5)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
acupressure massage on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints
decrease
menstrual distress scores
dysmenorrheic young adult women
-
had significantly lower
#1
acupressure massage on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints
decrease
low back pain (LBP) scores
dysmenorrheic young adult women
-
had significantly lower
#2
acupressure massage on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints
decrease
menstrual distress relief
participants in the experimental group
82%
reported a moderate to high levels of
#3
acupressure massage on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints
decrease
low back pain (LBP) relief
participants in the experimental group
78%
reported moderate to high levels of
#4
acupressure massage on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints
increase
satisfaction with acupressure
participants in the experimental group
75%
reported moderate to high levels of
#5
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and low back pain (LBP) in dysmenorrheic young adult women. In all, 129 female students, who had been experiencing dysmenorrhea with LBP during menstruation and who scored more than 4 points on the visual analog scale for pain, were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group (n = 65) received acupressure massage three times a week for 30 minutes on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints. The control group (n = 64) received only a manual of menstrual health education without acupressure intervention. Data were collected at five time points: at baseline, 30 minutes, and 4, 8, and 12 months after the intervention. During the 12-month follow-up, the experimental group had significantly lower menstrual distress and LBP scores than the control group. Among 65 participants in the experimental group, 53 (82%) reported a moderate to high levels of menstrual distress, 51 (78%) reported moderate to high levels of LBP relief, and 49 (75%) reported moderate to high levels of satisfaction with acupressure. Our findings may serve as a reference for health care professionals and young women to improve self-care during menstruation and help further understand the therapeutic effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and LBP.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AcupressureAcupuncture AnalgesiaAcupuncture PointsAcupuncture TherapyDysmenorrheaFemaleHumansLow Back PainPain MeasurementPatient SatisfactionStress, PsychologicalSurveys and QuestionnairesTreatment OutcomeYoung Adult
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations23
Citations/Year2.3
Relative Citation Ratio1.52
NIH Percentile65.5%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.76
Normalized Score0.70
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