BackgroundThough moxibustion is frequently used to treat primary dysmenorrhea in China, relevant evidence supporting its effectiveness is still scanty.MethodsThis study was a pragmatic randomized, conventional drug controlled, open-labeled clinical trial. After initial screen, 152 eligible participants were averagely randomized to receive two different treatment strategies: Moxibustion and conventional drugs. Participants and practitioners were not blinded in this study. The duration of each treatment was 3 months. The primary outcome was pain relief measured by the Visual Analogue Scale. The menstrual pain severity was recorded in a menstrual pain diary.Results152 eligible patients were included but only 133 of them eventually completed the whole treatment course. The results showed that the menstrual pain intensity in experimental group and control group was reduced from 6.38±1.28 and 6.41±1.29, respectively, at baseline, to 2.54±1.41 and 2.47±1.29 after treatment. The pain reduction was not significantly different between these two groups (P = 0.76), however; the pain intensity was significantly reduced relative to baseline for each group (P<0.01). Three months after treatment, the effectiveness of moxibustion sustained and started to be superior to the drug’s effect (-0.87, 95%CI -1.32 to -0.42, P<0.01). Secondary outcome analyses showed that moxibustion was as effective as drugs in alleviating menstrual pain-related symptoms. The serum levels of pain mediators, such as PGF2α, OT, vWF, β-EP, PGE2, were significantly improved after treatment in both groups (P<0.05). No adverse events were reported in this trial.ConclusionsBoth moxibustion and conventional drug showed desirable merits in managing menstrual pain, given their treatment effects and economic costs. This study as a pragmatic trial only demonstrates the effectiveness, not the efficacy, of moxibustion for menstrual pain. It can’t rule out the effect of psychological factors during treatment process, because no blind procedure or sham control was used due to availability. In clinical practice, moxibustion should be used at the discretion of patients and their physicians.Trial registrationClinialTrials.gov NCT01972906

BackgroundDysmenorrhea is a common menstrual complaint among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. The treatment of dysmenorrhea is typically selected from multidisciplinary options, including complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture and moxibustion. However, there are few published randomized controlled trials concerning moxibustion treatment for dysmenorrhea. This trial aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea, and to identify the optimal time of moxibustion treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.Methods/DesignThis protocol is for a randomized controlled trial in which the assessor and statistician will be blinded. A total of 222 eligible patients with dysmenorrhea will be randomly assigned to three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio as treatment group A (treated before menstruation onset), treatment group B (treated at the onset of menstruation), or control group C (waiting list group). The participants assigned to the treatment groups will receive suspended moxibustion treatment at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Guanyuan (CV4), while the waiting list group will not receive moxibustion treatment until the completion of the study. The trial period will consist of three baseline menstrual cycles, three menstrual cycles of treatment, and three menstrual cycles in the follow-up period. The primary outcome will be measured by changes in the Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale and the secondary outcomes will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale, Cox Retrospective Symptom Scale, diary entries, the Self-rating Depression Scale, and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale. The safety of moxibustion will be assessed at every visit.DiscussionThis trial aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea, as well as to determine whether the optimal time of treatment for primary dysmenorrhea in clinical practice is before or after the onset of menstrual pain.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Register: ChiCTR-TRC-14004627, registered on 9 May 2014.

No abstract

No abstract

A naphthalimide-derived fluorescent sensor termed L2 was designed and synthesized.