Acupressure helps with menstrual pain

Selbstakupressur helps against menstrual pain

Most women have experienced periodic pain during their period and quite a few are affected by the unpleasant symptoms every month. In one study, it has now been shown that the pain can be significantly reduced with the help of acupressure. An app was used, which helps the affected women with self-treatment.

Almost every woman knows regular pain

According to health experts, around 50 to 90 percent of all young women suffer from uncomfortable symptoms during the period. The symptoms may be different, but usually it is spasmodic pelvic pain, which can also radiate. Other symptoms may include headache, back pain as well as nausea and diarrhea. In a recent study, it has now been shown that acupressure can help against regular symptoms.

The majority of young women are in pain during the period, which manifests itself mainly in intense spasms in the lower abdomen. In one study, it has now been shown that acupressure can help against the regular symptoms. (Image: ruigsantos / fotolia.com)

What can help against the complaints

The pain that often accompanies menstruation can make life difficult for many women. Although there is sometimes the possibility to postpone the period, but so the complaints are only postponed.

Affected women sometimes resort to pain-relieving medicines, but often gentle methods can help against the symptoms.

For example, naturopathy uses regular homeopathic remedies for menstrual pain. Even Schüssler salts have been proven in painful cramping during menstrual period.

Acupressure can also help, as scientists from the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have found out in a recent study.

Acupressure can also be performed at home

The research team wanted to find out whether the complaints in 18 to 34-year-old women with severe menstrual pain can be reduced by self-acupressure more sustainable than with the sole normal care, for example with painkillers or hormonal contraceptives.

Acupressure is a procedure from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that offers the possibility to do it at home compared to acupuncture.

The corresponding points on the body are not needled, but pressed or massaged.

Instructions for Selbstakupressur via App

The researchers divided the 221 participants into two study groups: Both groups received a study app including a short briefing; only the intervention group got an app version that instructed self acupressure just before and during menstruation.

The advantage of an app is in particular the pictorial representation, which shows exactly which point the subjects have to press for the desired healing effect, as well as regular reminders. In addition, the entire study data was collected via the app.

"Originally, we only wanted to conduct a study on self-help procedures for menstrual pain. But we already involved affected women in their planning and they wanted an app, "explained study leader Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Witt from the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, in a statement.

According to the information, the app helped the subjects to perform a simple self-acupressure of three acupuncture points.

Lower pain intensity

According to the scientists, 37 percent of participants in the acupressure group achieved a fifty percent pain reduction after three months. After six months, 58 percent even accounted for more than half.

In the control group, there were about twenty-five percent of the participants at both times.

In addition, the acupressure group had to take fewer pain medications and reported overall lower pain intensity than the control group.

The results of the study were recently published in the journal "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology".

Medical benefits of apps

"We were amazed that after six months, two-thirds of the participants continued to perform self-acupressure," said Drs. Daniel Pach from the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics.

"So far, the medical benefits of apps have been poorly understood, and only a few have been randomized controlled trials," said the expert.

He added: "We were able to show that even an app can be well examined in a clinical study. However, despite our vast experience in conducting 'classical' studies, we also had to learn a lot of new things - which was very exciting and insightful for us. "

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