Insights & Discussion
This systematic review shows that the overall effectiveness of acupuncture treatment of premenstrual syndrome is superior to that of sham acupuncture and related medications.
Results. A total of 15 studies, comprising of 1103 cases, were included. Overall, acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of PMS compared with medicine and sham acupuncture. Subgroup analyses showed no significant difference among different intervention time to start acupuncture treatment. Among the acupoints involved in the treatment of PMS, SP6, LR3, and RN4 were the most commonly used.
The current meta-analysis reveals that acupuncture leads to better effective rate, but the intervention time has no significant effect on the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for PMS. SP6, LR3, and RN4 are the most commonly used acupoints in treating PMS. However, large-scale, case-control studies with rigorous designs are required to provide more accurate evidence.
Discover Related Insights
Acupuncture may have a positive impact on recovering menstrual cycles, reducing BMI, and lowering luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
2016 European Journal of Integrative Medicine The effects of acupuncture on polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis Qu F, Wu Y, Hu XY, Barry JA, Zhou J, Wang FF, et al.
Systematic Review Acupuncture PCOS
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in treating polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was investigated. The review included nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving a total of 531 women with PCOS. The analysis revealed that acupuncture showed promise in improving the recovery of menstrual cycles, reducing body mass index (BMI), and lowering luteinizing hormone (LH) levels among women with PCOS. However, caution is advised in interpreting these findings due to the limited methodological quality of the included RCTs. Despite the positive outcomes observed in certain parameters, further high-quality research is needed to establish the full scope of acupuncture's potential as a treatment for PCOS.
Acupuncture seems promising for symptom improvement in women with premenstrual syndrome.
2011 BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Acupuncture for premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Kim SY, Park HJ, Lee H, Lee H
Systematic Review Premenstrual Syndrome
Ten RCTs were included in our review. The pooled results demonstrated that acupuncture is superior to all controls. A meta-analysis comparing the effects of acupuncture with different doses of progestin and/or anxiolytics supported the use of acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture significantly improved symptoms when compared with sham acupuncture. No evidence of harm resulting from acupuncture emerged. Most of the included studies demonstrated a high risk of bias in terms of random sequence generation, allocation concealment, and blinding.
Although acupuncture seems promising for symptom improvement in women with PMS, important methodological flaws in the included studies weaken the evidence. Considering the potential of acupuncture, further rigorous studies are needed.
From article : Chinese medicine “treat the manifestation for emergency cases, treat root in chronic cases."
— 15 Apr 2021