Stimulation of certain acupuncture points would also relieve dysmenorrhea.

In a 2013 study, the effectiveness of acupuncture was observed in 600 patients with menstrual pain¹. The patients were stimulated on a single point (Shiqizhui, in the lower back) or on several points, and at different times of their cycle (either before menstruation or at the time of pain). Among them, 200 did not receive any treatment, thus constituting the control group. The results showed that acupuncture would relieve painful periods compared to the control group. Relief was noticeable within 5 minutes of the start of the manipulation for those treated at the time of pain, regardless of the points stimulated. For others, acupuncture treatment in different places has shown better results than stimulation of the Shiqizhui point. In general, acupuncture before menstruation has been shown to be more effective. Another study carried out in 2014 on 501 women also showed the effectiveness of acupuncture on painful periods². A 2013 study of 35 women even showed that acupuncture relieved pain more effectively than a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: the sensation of pain was reduced by 52,2% in the group taking anti-inflammatory drugs and 69,5% in the acupuncture group³.

These studies therefore suggest that acupuncture may be an effective natural therapy for reducing symptoms of dysmenorrhea as well as preventing them.

S Ma YX, Ye XN, Liu CZ, et al., A clinical trial of acupuncture about time-varying treatment and points selection in primary dysmenorrhea, J Ethnopharmacol, 2013 Liu CZ, Xie JP, Wang LP, et al., A randomized controlled trial of single point acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea, Pain Med, 2014 Kiran G, Gumusalan Y, Ekerbicer HC, et al., A randomized pilot study of acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea, Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 2013