Use of moxibustion to treat primary dysmenorrhea at two interventional times: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundDysmenorrhea is a common menstrual complaint among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. The treatment of dysmenorrhea is typically selected from multidisciplinary options, including complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture and moxibustion. However, there are few published randomized controlled trials concerning moxibustion treatment for dysmenorrhea. This trial aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea, and to identify the optimal time of moxibustion treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.Methods/DesignThis protocol is for a randomized controlled trial in which the assessor and statistician will be blinded. A total of 222 eligible patients with dysmenorrhea will be randomly assigned to three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio as treatment group A (treated before menstruation onset), treatment group B (treated at the onset of menstruation), or control group C (waiting list group). The participants assigned to the treatment groups will receive suspended moxibustion treatment at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Guanyuan (CV4), while the waiting list group will not receive moxibustion treatment until the completion of the study. The trial period will consist of three baseline menstrual cycles, three menstrual cycles of treatment, and three menstrual cycles in the follow-up period. The primary outcome will be measured by changes in the Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale and the secondary outcomes will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale, Cox Retrospective Symptom Scale, diary entries, the Self-rating Depression Scale, and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale. The safety of moxibustion will be assessed at every visit.DiscussionThis trial aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea, as well as to determine whether the optimal time of treatment for primary dysmenorrhea in clinical practice is before or after the onset of menstrual pain.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Register: ChiCTR-TRC-14004627, registered on 9 May 2014.

Instant analgesic effect of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on primary dysmenorrhoea according to functional magnetic resonance imaging: study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial

“…It is a self-administered questionnaire, with each response using a four-point scale from 0 (none of the time) to 4 (most of the time). A total score above 40 indicates a clinically relevant anxiety disorder [20]. The SAS will be utilised before and after rESWT treatment (Table 1).…”

“…SDS The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) is a scale used to evaluate changes in terms of depression [20]. In this trial, participants will fill out 20 items based on their actual experience over the past week.…”

Instant analgesic effect of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on primary dysmenorrhoea according to functional magnetic resonance imaging: Study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial

“…It is a self-administered questionnaire, with each response using a four-point scale from 0 (none of the time) to 4 (most of the time). A total score above 40 indicates a clinically relevant anxiety disorder [19]. The SAS will be utilised before and after rESWT treatment (Table 1).…”

“…The SDS is a scale used to evaluate participants' changes in terms of depression [19]. In this trial, participants will fill out 20 items based on their actual experience over the past week.…”

Differences in the Tongue Features of Primary Dysmenorrhea Patients and Controls over a Normal Menstrual Cycle

“…Korean medical doctors (KMDs) focus on the PD subtype, namely, the zheng or syndrome, for example, cold-dampness stagnation or qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome [7, 10]. The syndrome guides the choice of treatment with acupuncture, moxibustion, or herbal medicine.…”