Presentation summary

Co-Authors :
Carlo Maria Giovanardi – Associazione Medici Agopuntore Bolognesi (AMAB)
Alessandra Poini – Associazione Medici Agopuntore Bolognesi (AMAB), Italy.

Primary dysmenorrhea is a highly prevalent condition among women, with an incidence ranging from 45% to 97% across different age groups and nationalities. It accounts for 1–3% of school and work absenteeism, corresponding to an estimated loss of 600 million hours annually and 2 billion dollars in the United States.

The systematic review addressed the following clinical question: In patients with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea, should acupuncture be considered as an alternative to conventional treatment with analgesics?

Three modalities of acupuncture were examined: manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and acupuncture combined with moxibustion.

A total of 28 studies involving 2,057 participants were included. The outcomes assessed comprised pain intensity (measured by VAS or NRS), limitations in activities of daily living, quality of life, reduction of menstrual symptoms, duration of pain, school and work absenteeism, and adverse events.

Based on the findings of this review, acupuncture for the management of primary dysmenorrhea has been incorporated into the recommendations of the Guidelines of the Italian National Institute of Health.