Category: Gynaecology

A small randomised, controlled study undertaken by Brazilian researchers, suggests that acupuncture helps premenstrual depression and anxiety. Thirty volunteers diagnosed with the symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture as a control, twice a week for two menstrual cycles, giving a total of sixteen treatments per participant.

At the end of the treatment period, symptoms of anxiety and depression in both groups had reduced, but in the acupuncture group, the reductions were significantly greater. Mean anxiety scores in the acupuncture group reduced by 59%, compared with 21% in the sham group. Mean depression scores in the acupuncture group reduced by 52%, compared with 20% in the sham group.

(Effects of acupuncture on the symptoms of anxiety and depression caused by premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Acupuncture in Medicine, on-line September 2013.)

A pilot study published in a prestigious gynaecology journal, shows acupuncture to be as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for the management of period pain (dysmenorrhoea). Researchers in Turkey took a group of 35 young women with a diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhoea, and randomly allocated them to receive either drug treatment or acupuncture. After one month of treatment, pain scores in both groups were significantly lower: mean pain score in the acupuncture group had decreased by 69.5%, and that in the drug group by 52.2%.

(A randomized pilot study of acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, July 2013.)

Researchers in Sweden have shown that a course of acupuncture treatment can increase ovulation frequency in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Thirty-two patients aged 18-38 and with PCOS, were randomised to receive either acupuncture with electrical stimulation, or treatment with a physical therapist, twice a week for 10 to 13 weeks. Patients in the acupuncture group ovulated more frequently during the trial, compared with the control group. Furthermore, after the course of treatment was over, patients in the acupuncture group exhibited significantly greater reductions in a variety of hormones (including oestradiol, DHEA and testosterone), compared with the control group.

(Acupuncture for Ovulation Induction in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomised Controlled Trial. American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1 May 2013.)

A study by UK researchers has shown acupuncture to be effective at managing cancer-related fatigue (CRF). The randomised, controlled trial looked at 302 breast cancer patients, and allocated 227 of them to receive weekly acupuncture for six weeks plus usual care, and 75 of them to receive usual care alone. Usual care included provision of a booklet about fatigue management. The acupuncture group exhibited significant improvements in physical and mental fatigue, activity, motivation, psychological distress and quality of life measures. The researchers conclude acupuncture is an effective intervention for managing the symptom of CRF and improving patients’ quality of life.

This is the world’s first large-scale trial on this topic, and it was funded by Breakthrough, the UK’s leading breast cancer charity. Their Head of Research, Dr Julia Wilson, said,”Lots of breast cancer patients use acupuncture. Women were asking us if it works and until now, we had no scientific evidence to prove whether it did.” Professor Alexander Molassiotis from the University of Manchester and who led the trial, said,”Fatigue blights the lives of thousands of former cancer patients and this proves acupuncture can help them.”

(Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 20 December 2012.)

Researchers in the US have uncovered an association between higher intakes of dietary iron and reduced incidence of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). They followed 3000 women over a ten year period, assessing their mineral intake using dietary questionnaires at three points over that interval. Women with the highest iron intakes had a 30-40% lower risk of developing PMS, compared with women consuming the least. Moreover, it was consumption of so-called non-haem iron, which is found primarily in plant foods and dietary supplements, which was important. Risk of PMS appeared to lower once consumption exceeded around 20 mg per day. The study’s authors caution against exceeding 45 mg per day. They speculate that iron may be important to prevent PMS because it is required for serotonin production, which in turn regulates mood.

Zinc intakes greater than 15 mg per day were also associated with lower risk of PMS. A high potassium intake however, was associated with an elevated risk of PMS, perhaps because it has a role in regulating fluid balance in the body, and so may be linked with fluid retention pre-menstrually.

(Intake of Selected Minerals and Risk of Premenstrual Syndrome. American Journal of Epidemiology, on-line 26 February 2013.)