Comparing the Effect of Acupressure at the Spleen-10 (Xuehai) Acupoint and Vitamin E on Primary Dysmenorrhea

Objective: Vitamin E and acupressure are 2 complementary and alternative therapies recommended for primary dysmenorrhea (PD). This study assessed the effect of acupressure at Spleen-10 (SP-10), compared to vitamin E on the pain severity of primary dysmenorrhea (PD).

Materials and methods: A quasiexperimental study was conducted on 70 eligible young female students with self-reported primary dysmenorrhea at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. Participants were assigned to 2 treatment groups: acupressure or vitamin E. Interventions were implemented at the onset of menstrual pain in each patient, for 2 consecutive periods: acupressure group (n = 35) received 20 minutes of acupressure to SP-10 on both legs; and vitamin E group (n = 35) took 1 capsule of 200 international units of vitamin E. Pain severity was assessed with a visual analogue scale for pain. Data were analyzed with a response-profile analysis in R, version 3.6.1. Significance was P < 0.05.

Results: Both treatment groups had a similar pattern of change over time. The mean level of response profiles for pain severity was the same for both groups on all occasions. The effect of time was statistically significant (P < 0.001). A decreasing trend was noted in mean severity of pain over time. Changes at the second and third measured times were significant (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: It seems that acupressure at SP10 point is an efficient nonpharmacologic, cost-effective, easy-to-learn way to treat primary dysmenorrhea, applicable in any time or place.