Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture and or Moxibustion for Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Weiting Liu, Carol Chunfeng Wang, Khui Hung Lee and 2 others
PMID 35499150WHAT IT FOUND
Acupuncture and moxibustion reduced period pain scores compared with control treatments.
Adverse events were mild and uncommon. High variation in study methods and pain scales means these results should be treated as moderate certainty, not definitive proof.
Key findings
01Acupuncture and moxibustion groups showed lower pain scores than control groups on visual analogue and symptom scales.
02Reported adverse events were mild, including local irritation or bleeding, and all recovered without further action.
03There was no evidence that these treatments improved anxiety or depression associated with period pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
High heterogeneity in pain outcomes suggests results may vary depending on the specific treatment protocol used. Most studies used subjective self-reported pain scales, which can lead to inaccurate assessment. The review included only English and Chinese studies, potentially introducing selection bias. Many trials had unclear or high risk of bias regarding blinding, as absolute double-blinding is difficult in acupuncture studies.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the Edith Cowan University and Industry Collaboration Scholarship.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these treatments improve the emotional distress of period pain. The review found no significant difference in anxiety or depression scores between the treatment and control groups in most studies.