TITLE:
Acupuncture Point Injection of Vitamin K1 to Treat Severe Primary Dysmenorrhea: Case Series at a Women’s Health Service in Bologna
AUTHORS:
Grazia Lesi, Annagiulia Gramenzi, Clarissa Frascà, Francesco Cardini, Clede Maria Garavini
KEYWORDS:
Primary Dysmenorrhea, Acupuncture, Vitamin K
JOURNAL NAME:
Chinese Medicine,
Vol.8 No.1,
March
31,
2017
ABSTRACT: Introduction and Aim:
Vitamin K acupuncture point injection is an effective and safe menstrual pain
treatment derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly used in some
Chinese hospitals. This case series investigated the effectiveness and safety
of vitamin K acupuncture point injection on menstrual pain in patients with
severe primary dysmenorrhea at a regional public health clinic at Bologna,
Italy. Methods: From September 2006 to July 2010, 24 women were enrolled and treated during their first day of
menstrual pain with an injection of 1 ml of solution containing 5 mg of vitamin K1 in an acupuncture point San Yin
Jiao/Spleen 6 (SP6) bilaterally on the inside of each lower leg above the
ankle. Results: Treatment was well tolerated and no major adverse events were
reported. Pain relief was observed starting from 2 minutes after treatment and
within 30 minutes. All treated women but one (96%) reported a substantial pain reduction (p 0.001). During the six post-treatment follow-up
cycles, a trend toward a reduction of menstrual distress evaluated by the Cox
Pain Intensity and Duration Scales was documented. Women reported fewer daily
life restrictions and consumption of fewer analgesic tablets when compared
to what they reported at the pre-treatment cycle. Conclusions: The results of this case series
indicate that in primary dysmenorrhea a single vitamin K1 injection in the SP6
acupuncture point has an immediate pain-relieving effect and may ameliorate menstrual pain intensity and duration in
post-treatment follow-up cycles.