Self-Acupressure for Primary Dysmenorrhea and Premenstrual Symptoms

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Self-Acupressure: Participants receive structured training in self-administered acupressure at predefined acupoints (SP6, CV4, ST36, and LV3). Training is provided face-to-face at baseline. Participants are instructed to apply acupressure using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation across approximately six consecutive menstrual cycles.

Sham Self-Acupressure: Participants receive structured training in sham self-acupressure matched to the experimental intervention in terms of training format, session duration, frequency, and pressure intensity. Sham acupressure is applied at non-acupoint locations adjacent to the same anatomical regions as the experimental points, using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation across approximately six menstrual cycles.

Study summary

This randomized, sham-controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of self-administered acupressure on menstrual pain severity and premenstrual symptoms in women aged 18-30 years with primary dysmenorrhea. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a self-acupressure intervention group or a sham self-acupressure control group. The intervention will be applied during the premenstrual and menstrual periods over approximately six months. The primary outcome is the change in menstrual pain severity, and secondary outcomes include changes in premenstrual symptom severity, analgesic use, and menstruation-related activity limitation.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in menstrual pain severity — Baseline and end of 6 months (approximately 5-6 menstrual cycles)
  Change in menstrual pain severity measured using a visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10), where higher scores indicate more severe pain. The primary outcome is defined as the change in mean VAS score from baseline to the end of the 6-month follow-up period.

Trial sites (1)

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