Abstract
Introduction and Aim: Vitamin K acupuncture point injection is an effective and safe menstrual pain treatment derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly used in some Chinese hospitals. This case series investigated the effectiveness and safety of vitamin K acupuncture point injection on menstrual pain in patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea at a regional public health clinic at Bologna, Italy. Methods: From September 2006 to July 2010, 24 women were enrolled and treated during their first day of menstrual pain with an injection of 1 ml of solution containing 5 mg of vitamin K1 in an acupuncture point San Yin Jiao/Spleen 6 (SP6) bilaterally on the inside of each lower leg above the ankle. Results: Treatment was well tolerated and no major adverse events were reported. Pain relief was observed starting from 2 minutes after treatment and within 30 minutes. All treated women but one (96%) reported a substantial pain reduction (p < 0.001). During the six post-treatment follow-up cycles, a trend toward a reduction of menstrual distress evaluated by the Cox Pain Intensity and Duration Scales was documented. Women reported fewer daily life restrictions and consumption of fewer analgesic tablets when compared to what they reported at the pre-treatment cycle. Conclusions: The results of this case series indicate that in primary dysmenorrhea a single vitamin K1 injection in the SP6 acupuncture point has an immediate pain-relieving effect and may ameliorate menstrual pain intensity and duration in post-treatment follow-up cycles.
Highlights
Introduction and AimVitamin K acupuncture point injection is an effective and safe menstrual pain treatment derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly used in some Chinese hospitals
Nulliparous women aged 14 - 25 years were enrolled on the basis of the following inclusion criteria: no history or evidence of pelvic pathologyas confirmed by agynecological examination, regular menstrual cycles (28 day cycle ± 7 days) for the previous 6 months and severe primary dysmenorrhea for at least six months
The results of this case series show that vitamin K1 injection into the Spleen 6 (SP6) acupuncture point in young Italian patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea is safe and has a rapid pain-relieving effect
Summary
Vitamin K acupuncture point injection is an effective and safe menstrual pain treatment derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly used in some Chinese hospitals. Conclusions: The results of this case series indicate that in primary dysmenorrhea a single vitamin K1 injection in the SP6 acupuncture point has an immediate pain-relieving effect and may ameliorate menstrual pain intensity and duration in post-treatment follow-up cycles. Conventional treatments include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and oral contraceptives The efficacy of these treatments is high, but 20% - 25% of women have inadequate pain relief [4]-[11]. Both NSAIDs and oral contraceptives have side effects and their use is not without risk. Clinical studies suggest that acupuncture may play a role in managing primary dysmenorrhoea, but the evidence is limited [12] [13]
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