An innovative acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, crossover pilot study

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Gynecology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Dysmenorrhea causes significant activity restriction in young women.
• Standard treatments for dysmenorrhea are not universally effective and can have side effects.
• The efficacy and acceptability of vitamin K1 acupoint injection for US women were previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of vitamin K1 acupuncture point injection for primary dysmenorrhea in US women.
• To evaluate the preliminary effects of this alternative treatment on pain intensity and symptom duration.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study utilized a blinded, randomized, crossover trial design.
• Participants were women aged 18-25 diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea.
• Vitamin K1 was injected into the Spleen-6 (SP-6) acupuncture point, compared against saline placebo injections.

Main Results:

• Vitamin K1 injections resulted in an average 2.5-point decrease in pain intensity on a 0-10 NRS, compared to 1.8 points for saline (P < .001).
• A trend towards greater pain reduction was observed with vitamin K1 compared to saline (P < .10).
• 94% of participants found the injection therapy acceptable, with 77% willing to use it monthly.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture point injection of vitamin K1 is a feasible and highly acceptable treatment for primary dysmenorrhea among young women in the US.
• The treatment demonstrated a trend towards superior pain reduction compared to placebo, aligning with previous international findings.
• Further research may validate vitamin K1 acupoint injection as a novel therapeutic option for dysmenorrhea.