Clinical Study on Dry Needling for Primary Dysmenorrhea and Its Preliminary Correlation With Acupoints

Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Trigger Point Pain, Myofascial, Acupuncture, Primary Dysmenorrhea

In brief

Primary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain not caused by pelvic organic lesions, commonly seen in young women, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Dry needling therapy targeting myofascial trigger points for primary dysmenorrhea has been preliminarily applied in clinical settings. However, related research is limited with questionable quality, hindering its widespread clinical application. Furthermore, is there a connection between myofascial trigger points in dry needling and acupuncture acupoints in terms of selection and mechanism of action? Could this be a new interpretation of acupuncture theory? These are important questions that have garnered widespread attention. This study employs a randomized patient-blinded controlled design, enrolling primary dysmenorrhea patients aged 18 to 30 years. They are randomly divided into three groups: the trigger point dry needling group, traditional acupuncture treatment group, and trigger point sham needle (placebo) group. Changes in pain levels, quality of life scores, inflammatory factor levels, and local blood flow before and after treatment among the three groups are observed. The aim is to assess the therapeutic effects of dry needling trigger points and acupuncture treatments on primary dysmenorrhea and explore their potential mechanisms of action. By comparing the differences and similarities between dry needling trigger points and acupuncture treatments in terms of acupoint selection, treatment effects, and potential mechanisms of action, this study seeks to preliminarily explore the feasibility of integrating trigger point theory into the meridian 'acupoint' theory, laying the foundation for a modern interpretation of acupuncture

Key facts

Study ID: NCT06316583
Run by: Beijing Hospital
People needed: 150
Starts: 2024-04-01
Expected to finish: 2026-12-31
Last updated by the study team: 2025-05-21

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 30. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

All participants diagnosed explicitly by a gynecologist as having primary dysmenorrhea without pelvic organic lesions.
Aged between 18 and 30 years.
A history of cyclical menstrual pain for more than 2 years.
Pain greater than 30mm on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS, 0-100mm).
Participants must sign an informed consent form and be willing to undergo acupuncture treatment and cooperate to complete the relevant procedures of this trial.

You may not qualify if…

Those suffering from secondary dysmenorrhea or any other reproductive and urinary system diseases, such as endometriosis.
A history of pregnancy, miscarriage, or planning for pregnancy. Individuals with skin infections on the abdomen and lower back.
Past use of acupuncture therapy or other needling treatments.
Those with a history of mental illness and severe diseases of the heart, liver, brain, kidneys, hematopoietic system, etc.
Within the past 6 months, individuals referred to pain clinics, those who have used pain relievers like morphine or pethidine, or those allergic to NSAIDs. Also, those currently taking or receiving anticoagulant medications.
Individuals who have had adverse reactions to acupuncture (e.g., fainting).

Where it is running

Yanxia Sun — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (enrolling)
Yanxia Sun — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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