Clinical Observation of Warm Needling for Dysmenorrhea in Adenomyosis / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the clinical efficacies between warm needling and Ibuprofen sustained release capsules (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, NSAID) in treating patients with dysmenorrhea in adenomyosis. MethodSixty-five patients with dysmenorrhea induced by adenomyosis were randomized into a treatment group of 33 cases and a control group of 32 cases. The control group was intervened by oral administration of Ibuprofen sustained release capsules, while the treatment group was intervened by warm needling.The intervention lasted 3 menstrual cycles and a 3-month follow-up was studied. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), dysmenorrhea symptoms scores and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups.ResultThe VAS scores after the intervention and inthe first and second months of the follow-up study were significantly different from the pre-treatment score in the two groups (P<0.01); the VAS score of the 3-month follow-up was significantly different from the score before the intervention in the treatment group (P<0.01). There were significant differences in comparing the VAS score after the intervention and in the follow-up study between the two groups (P<0.01), and the treatment group was superior to the control group. The dysmenorrhea symptoms scoresdeclined significantly after the intervention and in the first and second months of the follow-up study in both groups (P<0.01); the dysmenorrhea symptoms score of the 3-month follow-up study decreased in the treatment group and was significantly different from the pre-treatment score (P<0.01). There were significant differences in comparing the dysmenorrhea symptoms scores in the second and third months of the follow-up study between the two groups (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 93.9% in the treatment group, significantly better than 62.5% in the control group (P<0.01).ConclusionWarm needling is effective in easing pain and improving the symptoms of dysmenorrhea in adenomyosis, and can produce a consistent efficacy after the termination of thetreatment; it's superior to NSAIDs in comparing both short-term and long-term treatment efficacies.