A Comparative Study on the Effect of Acupuncture and Neutral Hip Bath among Young Females with Primary Dysmenorrhea – A Prospective Randomised Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Dysmenorrhea is a common medical condition characterised by severe abdominal pain during menstruation. Dysmenorrhea with no obvious pelvic pathology is referred to as primary dysmenorrhea. Acupuncture and hydrotherapy are non-pharmacological interventions that help in reducing pain without any known adverse effects. The current study was aimed at understanding and comparing the effects of acupuncture with those of neutral hip bath on the symptoms and disability associated with primary dysmenorrhea. Methodology: In the present prospective randomised controlled trial, 70 females aged 21.54 ± 1.73 years fulfilling the study criteria were selected. Subjects were randomly divided into acupuncture and neutral hip bath groups. They were then assessed by the Visual analogue scale and Menstrual symptom questionnaire, outcomes variables assessed on the baseline, mid (30thday) and post (60th day) status of the intervention. Results: In the present study, analysis of variance (RMANOVA) on Visual analogue scale and Menstrual symptom questionnaire scores yielded significant variation among the conditions. Post hoc Tukey’s test showed a significant reduction in mean scores of both acupuncture and neutral hip bath groups. The outcomes variables taken during three intervals, pre vs mid, mid vs post, and pre vs post resulted in a p value ≤ 0.001, thus, suggesting the equal effectiveness of acupuncture and neutral hip bath in primary dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: The present study indicates that neutral hip bath was equally effective as acupuncture in the management of primary dysmenorrhea. It reduces the severity of dysmenorrhoeic pain and associated symptoms in young females.