Comparison of the Analgesic Time-effect Regularities of Acupuncture at a Single Point and at Multiple Points in Treating Dysmenorrhea

Objective To compare the analgesic time-effect regularity of acupuncture at Shiqizhui(Ex-B8) alone with acupuncture at Shiqizhui and other points in treating patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea.Methods In every group of 15(person-time) patients,the needles were retained for 30 min and the VAS score was counted immediately before acupuncture,after 5,10,20 and 30 min retention of the needle and at 30,60 and 120 min after withdraw of the needle.Statistical analysis was then made.Results The analgesic effect was rapidly produced in both groups after acupuncture.During 30 min retention of the needle,the analgesic effect was improved increasingly until the needle was withdrawn in both groups of patients.At 20 min after insertion of the needle,the immediate analgesic effect was significantly better in the multiple point group than in the single point group(P 0.05).The trend lasted until 2 hrs after withdraw of the needle.Conclusion Acupuncture both at Shiqizhui alone and at Shiqizhui and other points produces a marked immediate analgesic effect in treating patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea.The acupuncture time-effect regularity has the same changing tendency in the two groups.But the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture at multiple points is significantly better at several time points than that of acupuncture at Shiqizhui alone.