A systematic review by Korean authors looking at acupuncture for menstrual pain shows it is an effective intervention. The review examined 60 randomised controlled trials covering over 3000 patients; 49 trials were subject to meta-analysis. The studies compared acupuncture to no treatment, placebo or medication.
Compared with both no treatment and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture was more effective at reducing menstrual pain. The benefits of acupuncture were also maintained during short-term follow-up.
(The efficacy & safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea. A systematic review & meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), June 2018.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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