Effects of SP6 acupressure on pain and menstrual distress in young women with dysmenorrhea

This study aims to evaluate the effects of Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupressure in reducing the pain level and menstrual distress resulting from dysmenorrhea. Forty participants with dysmenorrhea were assigned to either the acupressure group (n=19) or the control group (n=21). The acupressure group received 20min of SP6 acupressure during the initial intervention session and was taught to perform the technique for them to do twice a day from the first to third days of their menstrual cycle, 3 months subsequent to the first session. In contrast, the control group was only told to rest. Outcomes were measured through (1) the Pain Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS), (2) the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and (3) the Short-Form Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (SF-MDQ). There was a statistically significant decrease in pain score for PVAS (p=0.003) and SF-MPQ (p=0.02) immediately after the 20min of SP6 acupressure. In the self-care periods, significant reduction of PVAS (p=0.008), SF-MPQ (p=0.012), and SF-MDQ (p=0.024) scores was noted in the third month of post-