Can acupuncture treat dysmenorrhea?

Acupuncture has been around since ancient times, and it has a very good auxiliary effect on many diseases. Dysmenorrhea is a very common phenomenon in daily life. Many people suffer from dysmenorrhea. Acupuncture can treat dysmenorrhea, and it itself has the effect of dredging meridians and harmonizing yin and yang. Therefore, if you have dysmenorrhea, acupuncture will be very effective in relieving it.

It is best not to have acupuncture during menstruation

During the first two days of the menstrual period, the endometrium is in a state of rupture, and acupuncture can easily aggravate the degree of rupture, leading to excessive menstrual flow and even metrorrhagia. The stimulation of acupuncture can indeed produce some adverse stimulation and influence on normal menstruation, such as promoting pelvic congestion, increasing uterine contractions, and even causing irregular menstruation.

Therefore, for women with normal menstrual cycles and normal menstrual color, volume, and quality, it is best not to undergo acupuncture treatment during menstruation to avoid affecting the discharge of menstruation. They can continue with relevant treatments after the menstruation ends.

If the menstrual cycle, color, volume and quality of menstruation are abnormal, such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and metrorrhagia, acupuncture treatment can be performed during menstruation to regulate menstruation and relieve pain. For some acute rescue patients, acupuncture treatment can also be performed for treatment needs. If menstrual disorders are caused by acupuncture, you can apply moxibustion to Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao, Zusanli and other acupoints to regulate menstruation. For delayed menstruation, scanty menstruation, and amenorrhea, add Tianshu and Guilai points; for irregular menstruation, add Qihai and Xuehai points; for dysmenorrhea, add Diji and Ciku points. Generally, menstrual disorders can be corrected after 3 to 5 treatments.

Can acupuncture treat dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is located in the uterus, Chong and Ren meridians, and its main pathogenesis is "pain due to obstruction" or "pain due to lack of nourishment". It is mainly related to the interference of pathogenic factors during or before and after menstruation, such as emotional injury, careless daily life or the harm of the six evils, which lead to poor circulation of Qi and blood in the Chong and Ren meridians and obstruction of Qi and blood circulation in the uterus. Pain occurs due to obstruction, which causes dysmenorrhea. It is precisely because of these congestion that the body feels pain. Through acupuncture of acupoints, one can achieve the purpose of dredging the Ren and Du meridians, regulating the meridians, making the blood and qi flow smoothly and relieving pain. The reason why acupuncture can relieve pain is because it can unblock these blockages. As the saying goes, "If the blockage is unblocked, there will be no pain, and if there is pain, there is blockage." This is Chinese medicine’s understanding of the principles of acupuncture analgesia.

Acupuncture for Dysmenorrhea

Staged treatment of dysmenorrhea refers to the implementation of acupuncture treatment during the pain attack period and the interval period.

1. Acupoints to be selected during the onset of dysmenorrhea pain: Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao, Diji, and Shiqizhui. Stagnation of cold and dampness: add moxibustion on the water channels. Qi stagnation and blood stasis: add Hegu and Taichong. Deficiency of Qi and blood: add Xuehai, Pishu and Zusanli. When acupuncture is performed on Guanyuan, it is advisable to use continuous twisting technique to transmit the needle sensation downward; for those with cold and dampness stagnation, mild moxibustion should be applied to the lower abdomen after acupuncture. Treat 1 to 2 times a day until the pain stops.

2. Acupoints to be selected during the intermenorrhea period: Taixi (bilateral). According to the cycle calculation, treatment should start 3 days before the next menstrual period, once a day for 3 consecutive days.

3. If dysmenorrhea still occurs after one cycle of treatment with the above method, continue with the next cycle of treatment.

During treatment, it is important to pay attention to the timing of acupuncture treatment and the conduction of needle sensation, which has obvious clinical significance. Acupuncture and moxibustion are used to treat dysmenorrhea in stages. It is effective for functional dysmenorrhea, but not so effective for organic dysmenorrhea (such as uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, adhesions after sterilization, etc.). Primary dysmenorrhea can usually be cured with 2 to 4 cycles of continuous treatment. Secondary dysmenorrhea can only relieve the pain symptoms but is not easy to cure completely.

Acupuncture precautions

1. Acupuncture is not suitable for those who are too tired, highly stressed, or hungry. The elderly and weak should lie down as much as possible during acupuncture, with fewer acupoints and gentle manipulation.

2. Pregnant women should not be subjected to excessive acupuncture. Acupuncture is prohibited on the abdomen, lumbar sacral area, and acupoints that can cause uterine contractions, such as Hegu, Sanyinjiao, Kunlun, and Zhiyin.

3. Needles are generally not left in children because they are uncooperative. It is forbidden to give needles to the fontanelle, Fengfu and Yamen acupoints of infants and young children.

4. Patients with bleeding diseases, or those who often have spontaneous bleeding and have difficulty stopping bleeding after injury should not be treated with acupuncture.

5. Do not acupuncture skin infections, ulcers, scars and tumors.

6. When acupuncture is performed in the eye area, chest and back, kidney area, neck, abdomen of patients with gastric ulcer, intestinal adhesion, intestinal obstruction, and pubic symphysis area of ​​patients with urinary retention, the depth and angle should be controlled. Direct puncture is prohibited to prevent accidental injury to important organs.