Moxibustion for Primary Dysmenorrhea

What is primary dysmenorrhea?

Primary dysmenorrhea is the cramping pain that comes before or during the menstrual period (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, n.d.). The pain can be dull, throbbing or cramping in nature. Patients may also experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, fever, headache, insomnia, and backaches in addition to lower abdominal pain. Primary dysmenorrhea usually starts from the onset of ovulatory cycles without any obvious underlying disease as opposed to secondary dysmenorrhea which is caused by other gynaecological issues. It’s quite common among young girls and women of reproductive age and can interfere with quality of life.

What is moxibustion?

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) near specific acupuncture points on the body. The primary goal of moxibustion is to promote healing, enhance energy, and improve overall health. By warming and stimulating the local area and meridians.

Types of Moxibustion:

Moxa can be used in a few different ways. Chinese medicine practitioners will use either moxa sticks, moxa cones, loose moxa in a moxa box, needle head moxa or rice grain moxa. It is burned either near the skin or directly on acupuncture points. Moxa can also be burned on a layer of ginger or salt for different therapeutic benefits.

Research showing the benefits of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea:

A study (Yang et al., 2017) looking into the effects of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea shows promising results. This study included 152 participants who were randomised into two different treatment groups: Moxibustion vs conventional drugs (NSAIDS) over a 3 month period. From the 152 participant, 133 of them completed the whole treatment course. The results showed that the menstrual pain intensity in the experimental group (moxibustion) and control group (conventional drugs) was reduced from 6.38±1.28 and 6.41±1.29, respectively, at baseline, to 2.54±1.41 and 2.47±1.29 after treatment. Three months after treatment, the effectiveness of moxibustion sustained and started to be superior to the drug’s effect.

This study demonstrated that moxibustion therapy is as effective as conventional drug for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and that it’s therapeutic effect can sustain after a course of treatment.

References:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (n.d.). Dysmenorrhea: Painful periods. Retrieved September 30, 2024, from https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/dysmenorrhea-painful-periods

Yang, M., Chen, X., Bo, L., Lao, L., Chen, J., Yu, S., Yu, Z., Tang, H., Yi, L., Wu, X., Yang, J., & Liang, F. (2017). Moxibustion for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 12(2), e0170952. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170952