Shock wave therapy applied at acupuncture points helps with period pain

Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) applied at acupuncture points in the lower abdomen can reduce menstrual pain, report researchers from China. Previously used for treating various types of chronic soft tissue pain, rESWT is a non-invasive treatment in which high frequency sound waves are applied to the body. Forty-four young women with primary dysmenorrhoea were randomly assigned to one of three groups: rESWT during the follicular phase (Group A), rESWT during the luteal phase (Group B), or heat patches applied during the follicular phase as a positive control (Group C), over three menstrual cycles. Ten acupuncture points on the lower abdomen (Shenque REN-8, Qihai REN-6, Guanyuan REN-4 and Zhongji REN-3, and bilateral Tianshu ST-25, Guilai ST-29, and Zigong M-CA-18) were treated with rESWT or heat patches. Pain severity and duration decreased significantly in all groups after the interventions. Although the reduction in pain duration was not found to be different between the groups, the reduction in pain severity was more significant in Groups A and B, compared with Group C. Menstrual blood volume decreased slightly after the intervention and the change in menstrual blood loss in Group B was significant.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for treating primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Feb 5;100(5):e23798.