['s subcutaneous needling combined with monkshood cake-separated moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea with cold congealing and blood stasis: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the clinical efficacy of 's subcutaneous needling combined with monkshood cake-separated moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea with cold congealing and blood stasis.

METHODS

Sixty patients with primary dysmenorrhea of cold congealing and blood stasis were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received monkshood cake-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and bilateral Zigong (EX-CA 1), while the observation group received 's subcutaneous needling based on the control group. The muscles were palpated and the affected muscles were determined. Needles were inserted 5-10 cm away from the affected muscles and reperfusion activity was performed simultaneously. All the treatment started on the first day of menstrual cycle pain, once a day, for 3 days, totaling for 3 menstrual cycles. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS) score, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score in the two groups were observed before treatment, after 2 treatment courses and after 3 treatment courses. The serum prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α) levels before and after 3 treatment courses were measured, and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.

RESULTS

After 2 and 3 treatment courses, the VAS scores, CMSS scores, and TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were lower than those before treatment (<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (<0.05). After 3 treatment courses, the PGF2α level in the observation group was decreased (<0.05), and were lower than that in the control group (<0.05). The total effective rate was 96.6% (28/29) in the observation group, which was higher than 64.3% (18/28) in the control group (<0.05).

CONCLUSION

's subcutaneous needling combined with monkshood cake-separated moxibustion could effectively reduce the pain intensity, improve clinical symptoms of dysmenorrhea, and lower PGF2α level in patients with primary dysmenorrhea of cold congealing and blood stasis.