Background
The prevalence of dysmenorrhea varies widely across the world. Up to 90% of adolescent women have primary menstrual pain in the United States of America. Menstrual pain among adolescents in Australia, Spain and Canada ranges from 80.0% to 93.0%. Primary dysmenorrhea in healthy young women is between 66.7% and 73.3% in Taiwan.In response to survey of girl students in the National Elementary School, the most common symptoms of menstrual discomfort are menstrual pain, acne and fatigue.Researchers have found that those students with higher dysmenorrhea tend to choose abdominal heat, aspirin, and analgesic needle as soothing ways to relieve their dysmenorrhea. The restriction of analgesics used in the school settings, students often ask for abdominal heat or bed rest to release their dysmenorrhea. However, lack of methods for youth to release their discomforts effectively, which can negatively affect the daily activity at school.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the health education program of Chinese acupressure can improve primary dysmenorrhea among female adolescents at junior high school in Taiwan.
Methods:
After the students and parents agree to participate in the study, filled out the questionnaire. Students with a pain severity score of 5 or more were eligible for the study. The computer was randomly sampled into experimental and control groups. All participants were given: 1) menstrual health education, 2)Personal TCM constitution description, 3). The experimental group was obtained (treated) acupressure to the acupuncture point of the Chinese medicine. The control group was obtained (treated) a false acupoint point finger pressure. We use the thumb or the knuckle to press the acupoint vertically for 3-5 minutes with gentle force to achieve the effect of relieving pain.
Results:
A single acupoint significantly slows the pain of dysmenorrhea, which is consistent with the conclusions of the empirical literature.Young girls, in the case of daily life of 1-3 days per month, affected by dysmenorrhea, in addition to painkillers, hot compresses, rest, can get the knowledge and skills of traditional Chinese medicine to relieve pain.
Conclusion:
Whenever and where dysmenorrhea occurs, it is possible to relieve pain by self-pointing acupressure points, so it is an important topic to promote knowledge and skills that are cost-effective, simple, easy to learn, easy to remember, and easy to use.
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