Randomised trial, 2015
Does acupuncture combined with ear acupuncture help menstrual headaches?
Yes, acupuncture combined with ear acupuncture was effective in 95.4 percent of women, which was notably better than medication (81 percent). It appears to work by lowering pain-related chemicals in the blood.
What they did
Randomized controlled trial of 85 women with menstrual headaches comparing body acupuncture plus ear acupuncture to flunarizine medication over 3 menstrual cycles. 43 women received acupuncture and 42 received medication. Blood levels of pain-related chemicals were measured before and after treatment.
What they found
Acupuncture combined with ear acupuncture was effective in 95.4 percent of women (41 of 43), compared with 81 percent in the medication group (34 of 42). After treatment, both groups showed lower levels of two pain-related chemicals (prostaglandin F2-alpha and vasopressin). The acupuncture group showed a significantly greater decrease in prostaglandin levels compared to the medication group, and the levels returned to normal.
What it means for you
Combining body and ear acupuncture appears effective for menstrual headaches and may work by reducing pain-related chemicals in the body. It appears more effective than the medication tested, though the study was relatively small and conducted in one country.
95.4%
Acupuncture effectiveness
81%
Medication effectiveness
3
Menstrual cycles
About the study
- Original title
- [Efficacy of acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking on the content of serum prostaglandin F2α, and plasma arginine vasopressin in patients with menstrual headache]
- Authors
- Sun L, Liang Y, Li X et al.
- Journal
- Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 43
- What was tested
- Body acupuncture combined with ear acupuncture versus flunarizine medication
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25854019/
Topics
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