Effect of acupressure at the Sanjiao point (SP6) on women's general heath with dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most prevalent gynecological problems among women. The aim of this randomized, single-blind clinical trial was to examine the effectiveness of SP6 acupressure on women's general health. This was a single-blind, placebo-controlled study and included 86 single students who had regular menstrual cycles. The students were randomly allocated to either acupressure group or sham pressure group. Participants in acupressure group received acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point (SP6) in the first 24 hours after menstruation. Using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) we assessed general health of both groups before and 3 hours after intervention. The general health scores improved significantly after intervention. We found significant differences between the two groups in relation to the 4 domains of general health after the first and second months of intervention (p<0.05). The results of this study showed that both acupressure and placebo were effective in promoting women's general health, but, acupressure was more effective than placebo. Sp6 acupressure is a self-manageable approach which can improve women’s general health.