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Liu W, Wang CC, Lee KH, Ma X, Kang TL. Research methodology in acupuncture and moxibustion for managing primary dysmenorrhea: A scoping review. Complement Ther Med 2022; 71:102874. [PMID: 35998757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acupuncture and moxibustion have promising effects in managing primary dysmenorrhea. However, some evidence from clinical trials remains controversial due to methodological flaws in study designs that involve acupuncture and its related modalities and require urgent attention and dialogue. METHODS Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), PubMed, Web of Sciences, Chinese Biological Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), and Wanfang database were searched from their inception to July 2021. Data were extracted based on the types of study design, primary outcome measures, adverse events (AEs), and participants' subjective views. RESULTS Most studies (n = 282, 93 %) were published in Chinese and 21 (7 %) in English. Among these, there were 209 (69 %) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 39 (13 %) non-randomized controlled trials (nRCTs), 30 (10 %) case-series reports, 15 (5 %) cohort studies, and 10 (3 %) case reports. The most frequent reported outcome was pain, followed by emotion, sleeping quality, quality of life, skin temperature, changes in brain function, uterine and ovarian blood flow, and reproductive endocrine level. AEs were reported in 37 studies with mild events, and all recovered without actions taken; 31 trials reported no AEs; 235 failed to report any AEs. One RCT found that the satisfaction rate of the intervention group was statistically significantly higher than the control group. CONCLUSION Clinical studies on acupuncture and its related modalities face methodological challenges and require urgent attention. RCT with blinding and sham control might be the gold standard trial design. However, it may not be the most suitable research method for these modalities. We recommend using pragmatic RCTs in this field, where trial protocol registration on the trial registry platforms and detailed safety reporting should be mandatory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiting Liu
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
| | - Carol Chunfeng Wang
- School of Nursing, Midwifery, Health Sciences & Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Khui Hung Lee
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
| | - Xiaopeng Ma
- Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai, China
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Yang H, Li X, Guo XL, Zhou J, Shen ZF, Liu LY, Wei W, Yang L, Yu Z, Chen J, Liang FR, Yu SY, Yang J. Moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study exploring the alteration of functional connectivity strength and functional connectivity. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:969064. [PMID: 36110091 PMCID: PMC9469737 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.969064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionPrimary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is a common gynecological disease and chronic pain disorder. Moxibustion, a form of traditional Chinese medicine therapy, has proven to be effective for PDM. However, the central mechanisms of PDM and moxibustion for PDM are still unclear. This study aims to explore the potential central mechanism of PDM and clarify the possible mechanism of moxibustion for relieving pain.Materials and methodsA total of 23 PDM patients and 23 matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. For PDM patients, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected pre- and post-moxibustion treatment of 3 consecutive menstrual cycles, respectively. For HCs, rs-fMRI data were collected in the baseline. The resting-state functional connectivity strength (rs-FCS) analysis and the resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis based on the region of interest (ROI) were combined to be conducted.ResultsCompared to HCs, PDM patients showed weaker rs-FCS in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). After the moxibustion treatment, rs-FCS in the left IFG was increased with clinical improvement. Then, the left IFG was chosen as ROI, and the rs-FC analysis was conducted. It showed that the left IFG rs-FC in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/middle cingulate cortex (MCC), the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus (PCU), and the left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) decreased after moxibustion treatment, most of which belong to the default mode network (DMN).ConclusionOur results highlight the role of the left IFG and the DMN in PDM. Specifically, the central mechanism of moxibustion for analgesia may be related to modulating the disorders of the reappraisal and processing of pain stimuli through influencing the cognition of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao-li Guo
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecological Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhi-fu Shen
- Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Li-ying Liu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecological Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zheng Yu
- College of Medical Information and Engineering, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiao Chen
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Fan-rong Liang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Si-yi Yu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Acupuncture & Brain Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Jie Yang,
| | - Jie Yang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecological Hospital, Chengdu, China
- Si-yi Yu,
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Liu W, Wang CC, Lee KH, Ma X, Kang TL. Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture and or Moxibustion for Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Nurs Res 2022; 31:1362-1375. [PMID: 35499150 PMCID: PMC9449440 DOI: 10.1177/10547738221086984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Acupuncture and moxibustion have been accepted as add-on options for primary dysmenorrhea (PD); however, the clinical evidence is still inadequate. We searched AMED, CENTRAL, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wangfang database, ANZCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO ICTRP, from their inception to February 2021. The pooled analysis of 13 RCTs with 675 participants for VAS showed that acupuncture and moxibustion were more effective in managing PD than the control group with the MD of -1.93 (95% CI [-2.80, -1.06] and -2.67 (95% CI [-4.96, -0.38]). With the CMSS, seven studies with 487 participants showed that these modalities were more effective than the control group with the MD of -7.58 (95% CI [-10.97, -4.19]) and -3.78 (95% CI [-6.90, -0.66]). The findings indicated that acupuncture and moxibustion could relieve pain effectively and has fewer adverse events (AEs) in managing PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiting Liu
- Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | | | - Xiaopeng Ma
- Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, China
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Pan S, Wang S, Li J, Yuan H, Xue X, Liu Y, Yue Z. Moxibustion for Primary Dysmenorrhea: An Adjuvant Therapy for Pain Relief. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2022; 2022:1-14. [PMID: 35126603 PMCID: PMC8813230 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6864195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The latest spectrum of moxibustion disease shows that primary dysmenorrhea is a high-frequency symptom of moxibustion and that it is the dominant clinical disease. In the specific treatment methods, all types of moxibustion methods have been widely used, such as thermal, thunder fire, partitioned, and spreading moxibustion. Moxibustion plays a therapeutic role through its four mechanisms of action: heat, light, moxa smoke, and drug effects. The mechanism of moxibustion treatment for primary dysmenorrhea focuses on adjusting endocrine hormones, regulating immune function and neuro-related factors, and improving uterine microcirculation. In this study, based on the clinical evidence of different moxibustion methods for treating primary dysmenorrhea, the design model, intervention characteristics, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Meanwhile, the brain effect mechanisms of different imaging methods were summarized from the perspective of neuroimaging. It was pointed out that the left anterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior parietal angular gyrus, and left superior gyrus may be the analgesic brain regions that regulate sensory, emotional, and cognitive aspects. Moreover, the neural circuits involved can be inferred: the frontal cortex-basal ganglia (the pea nucleus)-cerebral cortex, which mediates motivation and emotional drive, and the parietal lobe-basal ganglia-limbic lobe-frontal lobe, which is involved in neurotransmitter transport and emotional regulation and behavioral expression. There are still problems and deficiencies in studies on the mechanism of moxibustion treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. Studies should be strengthened on how moxibustion produces an effect. Attention should be paid to exploring how the spectrum range and peak in the light effect of moxibustion treat primary dysmenorrhea. Studies assessing the mechanisms of moxibustion treatment for primary dysmenorrhea should be conducted to provide an experimental basis and evidence-based medical evidence for clinical treatment.
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Zhang HR, Tu HY, Wang Y, Xia SL, Zhao GY, Yang T, Li YK. Effectiveness and Safety of Moxibustion Robots on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Chin J Integr Med 2021; 27:578-84. [PMID: 33837481 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-021-3287-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To conduct a pilot trial to explore the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion robots in treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and evaluate its feasibility in clinic. METHODS A total of 70 participants with PD were allocated to either moxibustion robot (MR) group (35 cases) or manual moxibustion (MM) group (35 cases) using computer-generated randomization. One acupoint Guanyuan (CV 4) was selected to receive moxa heat stimulation. Two groups of participants were given 3 menstrual cycles of MM and MR treatment respectively (once a day, 5 days a session) and received another 3 menstrual cycles follow-up. The degree of pain was evaluated by short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and the symptoms of dysmenorrhea were evaluated by Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS). The safety was measured by the occurrence rate of adverse events (AEs), including burns (blisters, red and swollen), itching, bowel changes, menstrual cycle disorder, menorrhagia and fatigue, etc. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients completed the trial, 32 in MR group and 30 in MM group. Compared with baseline, scores of SF-MPQ and CMSS significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05), and no significant difference was observed between the two groups in the 3rd and 6th menstrual cycles (P>0.05). The total occurrence rate of AEs in MR group was 2.1%, which was significantly lower than MM group (7.2%, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS MR has the same effect as MM at SF-MPQ and CMSS in patients with PD. However, MR is safer than MM (Trial registration No. ChiCTR1800018236).
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Liu LY, Li XJ, Wei W, Guo XL, Zhu LH, Gao FF, Liang FR, Yu SY, Yang J. Moxibustion for Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea at Different Intervention Time Points: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain Res 2020; 13:2653-2662. [PMID: 33116807 PMCID: PMC7585511 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s270698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the effectiveness of moxibustion at different times of the menstrual cycle for patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Patients and Methods Participants were 208 patients allocated to three controlled groups: one pre-menstrual treatment group (Group A), one menstrual-onset treatment group (Group B), and one waiting-list group (Group C). Groups A and B received the same intervention of moxibustion on points SP6 and RN4 but at different times. Group C, the waiting-list group, received no treatment throughout the study. Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS) score was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) score of pain intensity, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, and self-rating depression scale (SDS) score. CMSS and VAS scores were obtained at the baseline stage (three cycles), treatment stage (three cycles), and follow-up stage (three cycles), a total of seven evaluations. SAS and SDS scores were obtained on the day of group allocation and the first day of the follow-up stage, a total of two evaluations. Results Baseline characteristics were comparable across the three groups. Pain duration (CMSS score) was significantly higher in Group C than in the other two groups at each evaluation (P<0.001). There was also a significant difference in the improvement in pain duration between Group B and Group C (P<0.001) throughout the trial. There were no significant changes in pain severity (CMSS score) after the 3-month treatment in Group A and Group B (P>0.05). Secondary outcomes showed that pre-menstrual moxibustion (Group A) was as effective as menstrual-onset moxibustion (Group B) in relieving pain intensity (VAS score) and negative mood (SDS and SAS scores). Conclusion Moxibustion appears as an effective treatment for PD. Pre-menstrual application is more effective than menstrual-onset application. Trial Registration Chictr.org.cn Identifier ChiCTR-TRC-14004627.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ying Liu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ji Li
- Natural Harmony Clinic, Auckland City, New Zealand
| | - Wei Wei
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Li Guo
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Hua Zhu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou Development District Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei-Fei Gao
- Geriatrics Department, Tianjin Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan-Rong Liang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Si-Yi Yu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Yang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
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Wu X, Gan L, Zhang Y, Chen B, Luo J, Yan J, Chen G. Moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: Protocol for a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e18547. [PMID: 31895793 PMCID: PMC6946293 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000018547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is one of the most common gynecological complaint among menstruating females. Acupuncture has been employed to relieve the pain-based symptoms and to avoid the side effects of conventional medication, especially, moxibustion has confirmed as an effective, convenient, and safe treatment for various types of menstrual pain. The purpose of this study is to systematically assess the effect and safety of moxibustion for treating PD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The following databases will be searched from their inception to December 2019: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Wan-Fang Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Citation Information by National Institute of Informatics, Chinese Scientific Journal Database. Two reviewers will search these databases, select data and evaluate the quality of studies separately. The methodological quality will be measured by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The primary outcome is the pain degree evaluation including visual analog scale, numerical visual scale, verbal rating scale, Cox retrospective symptom scale, or any other scale used to evaluate the level of pain. And the response rate involved overall reduction in symptoms. The adverse effects, quality of life will be assessed as secondary outcomes. Risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data will be adopted to express the effect and safety of moxibustion for PD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO CRD42019130141.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is one of the most prevalent gynecological diseases in women of childbearing age. The major medications treating PDM usually make sense and side effects, while moxibustion is known as a safe and effective treatment for PDM. This review aims to systematically evaluate the effect and safety of moxibustion for treating PDM. METHODS We will search all randomized controlled trials for moxibustion therapy on PDM, electronically and manually, regardless of publication status, till October 31, 2019. Online databases include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; PubMed; EMBASE; China National Knowledge Infrastructure; Chinese Biomedical Literature Database; Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database); and Wan-Fang Database. Two reviewers will search these databases, select data and measure the quality of studies independently. The methodological quality will be assessed by the Cochrane Reviewer's Handbook 6.0. The primary outcomes include clinical efficacy and visual analog scale, and the secondary outcomes include adverse events and quality of life. Four reviewers will independently extract the data and assess the qualities of the studies. Statistical analysis will be conducted with R package for each outcome. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. RESULTS This study will provide a comprehensive review of the available evidence for the treatment of moxibustion with PDM. CONCLUSION The conclusion of our study will provide updated evidence to judge whether moxibustion is an effective and safe intervention for patients with PDM. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019129993.
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Xu L, Xie T, Shen T, Zhang T. Effect of Chinese herbal medicine on primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e17191. [PMID: 31567963 PMCID: PMC6756727 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000017191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), the most common gynecological diseases, seriously affects women's life and work; however, without more effective treatment. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used for relieving dysmenorrheic pain in patients with PD. To assess the effectiveness and safety of CHM in patients with PD, a systematic review and meta-analysis of current published evidence regarding CHM as treatment for PD would be conducted in this study. METHODS Literatures related to CHM for PD from the establishment of the database to June 2019 will be retrieved from the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBACE, Wed of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Database. There are no language restrictions for retrieving literature. Eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness and safety of CHM in PD patients will be put in the study including outcomes of pain intensity, clinical effectiveness rate, quality of life, and adverse events. By scanning the titles, abstracts and full texts, 2 reviewers will independently select studies, extract data, and assess the quality of study. Meta-analysis of RCTs will be conducted using Review Manager 5.1 software. The results will be presented as risk ratio for dichotomous data, and standardized or weighted mean difference for continuous data. RESULT This study will provide high-quality available evidence for the treatment of PD with CHM based on pain, clinical efficacy, quality of life, and adverse events. CONCLUSION The systematic review willto evaluate the efficacy of CHM in treating PD and provide evidence for clinicians. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019121185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan
| | - Tian Xie
- Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Shen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan
| | - Tianfeng Zhang
- Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Yu S, Wen Y, Xia W, Yang M, Lv Z, Li X, Li W, Yang S, Hu Y, Liang F, Yang J. Acupoint herbal plaster for patients with primary dysmenorrhea: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2018; 19:348. [PMID: 29970155 PMCID: PMC6029355 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2682-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), is one of main gynecological complaints in women of child-bearing age. Common medications for PD do not always achieve satisfactory outcome of pain relief. Hence, both health professionals and patients are seeking help from complementary and alternative medicine. The acupoint herbal plaster (AHP), which appears to be a safe and effective way to alleviate menstrual pain, as well as to improve other PD-related symptoms. Despite similar clinical studies for this condition in the past, no high-quality methodology-based clinical trial has been reported to date. The current study aims to assess the efficacy of the AHP compared with the acupoint placebo plaster (APP) and being placed on a waiting-list control group in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS/DESIGN This study is a randomized, single-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 180 women with PD will be included and randomly allocated to the AHP, APP and waiting-list (WL) groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. Patients in the AHP group will be provided with herbal plasters (Shaofuzhuyu decoction) on various acupoints: Shenque (CV8), Guanyuan (CV4), Qihai (CV5), Ciliao (BL32) and Zigong (EX-CA1). Women in the APP group will receive placebo plasters on the same acupoints, and no intervention will be given to the WL group until completion of the study. The primary outcome will be pain intensity reduction measured by a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), with other outcome measurements including the Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS), the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the Participant Global Impression of Change (PGIC). All assessments will be performed at baseline, each menstrual cycle during the treatment course and the follow-up course. Any adverse events will be recorded throughout the study. DISCUSSION This is the first study to compare the changes in menstrual pain after three different interventions: the active intervention (AHP), the placebo intervention (APP), and a period of no intervention (WL). This three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to investigate the relative contributions of the specific (AHP vs. APP) and non-specific (APP vs. WL) effects to the overall clinical effects of the active AHP on women with PDM. The scientific and rigorous methodology design of this trial should gather good evidence to assess the curative effects and safety of the AHP on PD. Moreover, the results of this study may provide evidence-based references for the treatment of menstrual pain in future. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ID: ChiCTR-TRC-16008701. Registered on 22 July 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Yu
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Yueqiang Wen
- The Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Wanting Xia
- The Department of Clinical Medical, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Mingxiao Yang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Zhengtao Lv
- Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoji Li
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Wenyao Li
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Sha Yang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Youping Hu
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Fanrong Liang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Jie Yang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan China
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Han CH, Ma JN, An N, Yoon SG, Kim M. Moxibustion for stroke: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE-based recommendations. Eur J Integr Med 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eujim.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Yu SY, Lv ZT, Zhang Q, Yang S, Wu X, Hu YP, Zeng F, Liang FR, Yang J. Electroacupuncture is Beneficial for Primary Dysmenorrhea: The Evidence from Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2017; 2017:1791258. [PMID: 29358960 PMCID: PMC5735637 DOI: 10.1155/2017/1791258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Electroacupuncture (EA) is considered to be a promising alternative therapy to relieve the menstrual pain for primary dysmenorrhea (PD), but the conclusion is controversial. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis specifically to evaluate the clinical efficacy from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of EA in patients with PD. PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, CENTRAL, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched to identify RCTs that evaluated the effectiveness of EA for PD. The outcome measurements included visual analogue scale (VAS), verbal rating scale (VRS), COX retrospective symptom scale (RSS), and the curative rate. Nine RCTs with high risk of bias were included for meta-analysis. The combined VAS 30 minutes after the completion of intervention favoured EA at SP6 when compared with EA at GB39, nonacupoints, and waiting-list groups. EA was superior to pharmacological treatment when the treatment duration lasted for three menstrual cycles, evidenced by significantly higher curative rate. No statistically significant differences between EA at SP6 and control groups were found regarding the VRS, RSS-COX1, and RSS-COX2. The findings of our study suggested that EA can provide considerable immediate analgesia effect for PD. Additional studies with rigorous design and larger sample sizes are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-yi Yu
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Zheng-tao Lv
- Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Sha Yang
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Xi Wu
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - You-ping Hu
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Fang Zeng
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Fan-rong Liang
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Jie Yang
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
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