Articles: dysmenorrhea-therapy.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jun 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of an acupressure device (relief brief) for managing symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
To develop and test the safety and effectiveness of an acupressure garment (the Relief Brief) in decreasing the pain and symptom distress associated with dysmenorrhea. ⋯ An acupressure device is an effective and safe nonpharmacologic strategy for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. With design modifications, it could serve as a main treatment modality for women who suffer from primary dysmenorrhea and do not wish to or cannot use the conventional pharmacologic agents. In addition, this acupressure device may serve as an adjuvant therapy to medication in more severe cases of dysmenorrhea.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2002
ReviewTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea.
Dysmenorrhoea is the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps of the uterus. Medical therapy for dysmenorrhoea commonly consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or the oral contraceptive pill both of which work by reducing myometrial (uterine muscle) activity. However, these treatments are accompanied by a number of side effects, making an effective non-pharmacological method of treating dysmenorrhoea of potential value. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a treatment that has been shown to be effective for pain relief in a variety of conditions. Electrodes are placed on the skin and electric current applied at different pulse rates (frequencies) and intensities is used to stimulate these areas so as to provide pain relief. In dysmenorrhoea. TENS is thought to work by alteration of the body's ability to receive or perceive pain signals rather than by having a direct effect on the uterine contractions. Acupuncture may also be indicated as a useful, non-pharmacological method for treating dysmenorrhoea. Acupuncture is thought to excite receptors or nerve fibres which, through a complicated interaction with mediators such as serotonin and endorphins, blocks pain impulses. Acupuncture typically involves penetration of the skin by fine, solid metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation. ⋯ High frequency TENS was found to be effective for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea by a number of small trials. The minor adverse effects reported in one trial requires further investigation. There is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of low frequency TENS in reducing dysmenorrhoea. There is also insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing dysmenorrhoea, however a single small but methodologically sound trial of acupuncture suggests benefit for this modality.
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Dysmenorrhea is commonly observed in women and it reduces their quality of life. Most of dysmenorrhea is based on the disease of endometriosis, uterine myoma, uterine anomalies etc. and some cases are functional. ⋯ There are many different factors for dysmenorrhea in endometriosis, which is the commonest disease with dysmenorrhea, and we have to perform various therapies for pain. Therefore, we discuss in this paper the control for the functional dysmenorrhea and the pain in endometriosis.
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Dysmenorrhoea refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps of uterine origin and is a common gynaecological condition. The efficacy of medical treatments such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) is considerable, however the failure rate can still be as high as 20-25% and there are also a number of associated adverse effects. Many women are thus seeking alternatives to conventional medicine. One popular treatment modality is spinal manipulation therapy. There are several rationales for the use of musculoskeletal manipulation to treat dysmenorrhoea. The parasympathetic and sympathetic pelvic nerve pathways are closely associated with the spinal vertebrae, in particular the 2nd-4th sacral segments and the 10th thoracic to the 2nd lumbar segments. One hypothesis is that mechanical dysfunction in these vertebrae causes decreased spinal mobility. This could affect the sympathetic nerve supply to the blood vessels supplying the pelvic viscera, leading to dysmenorrhoea as a result of vasoconstriction. Manipulation of these vertebrae increases spinal mobility and may improve pelvic blood supply through an influence on the autonomic nerve supply to the blood vessels. Another hypothesis is that dysmenorrhoea is referred pain arising from musculoskeletal structures that share the same pelvic nerve pathways. The character of pain from musculoskeletal dysfunction can be very similar to gynecological pain and can present as cyclic pain as it can also be altered by hormonal influences associated with menstruation. ⋯ Overall there is no evidence to suggest that spinal manipulation is effective in the treatment of primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea. There is no greater risk of adverse effects with spinal manipulation than there is with sham manipulation.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewHerbal and dietary therapies for primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea.
Dysmenorrhoea refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps of uterine origin and is a common gynaecological complaint. Common treatment for dysmenorrhoea is medical therapy such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) which both work by reducing myometrial activity (contractions of the uterus). The efficacy of conventional treatments such as nonsteroidals is considerable, however the failure rate is still often 20-25%. Many consumers are now seeking alternatives to conventional medicine and research into the menstrual cycle suggests that nutritional intake and metabolism may play an important role in the cause and treatment of menstrual disorders. Herbal and dietary therapies number among the more popular complementary medicines yet there is a lack of taxonomy to assist in classifying them. In the US, herbs and other phytomedicinal products (medicine from plants) have been legally classified as dietary supplements since 1994. Included in this category are vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and other dietary substances. For the purpose of this review we use the wider term herbal and dietary therapies to include the assorted herbal or dietary treatments that are classified in the US as supplements and also the phytomedicines that may be classified as drugs in the European Union. ⋯ Vitamin B1 is shown to be an effective treatment for dysmenorrhoea taken at 100 mg daily, although this conclusion is tempered slightly by its basis on only one large RCT. Results suggest that magnesium is a promising treatment for dysmenorrhoea. It is unclear what dose or regime of treatment should be used for magnesium therapy, due to variations in the included trials, therefore no strong recommendation can be made until further evaluation is carried out. Overall there is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of any of the other herbal and dietary therapies considered in this review for the treatment of primary or secondary dysmenorrhoea.