Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Dysmenorrhea Caused by Endometriosis: A Review of Utilization and Mechanism
Guo Y, Liu FY, Shen Y, Xu JY, Xie LZ, Li SY, Ding DN, Zhang DQ, Han FJ · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2021 July 02
DOI 10.1155/2021/6663602
Objective
Endometriosis (EM) is a common and benign estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder among women of reproductive age, and secondary dysmenorrhea is one of the more severe symptoms. However, the mechanism behind the development of dysmenorrhea is poorly understood, and there is a lack of effective methods for diagnosing and treating EM dysmenorrhea. This review updates the progress of CAM in the treatment of EM dysmenorrhea and seeks to identify the therapeutic efficacy as well as the mechanisms behind these effects based on the available clinical and experimental studies.
Conclusions
There are increasing CAM therapies for secondary dysmenorrhea caused by EM, including herbs, acupuncture, and CHM enema. CAM therapies have been widely utilized because their curative effect is well accepted. These therapies can relieve pain, reduce the recurrence rate, and improve quality of life; however, they cannot fully eradicate the endometriotic lesions. In summary, the active principle of CAM therapies has a strong scientific foundation, and researchers have shown increased interest in this area of medical treatment.
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