Systematic review, 2018
Does acupuncture or acupressure help PMS symptoms?
Acupuncture may reduce mood-related PMS symptoms more than sham acupuncture, but the evidence is very weak due to small studies with design problems. We cannot be confident it works.
What they did
Systematic review of randomized trials comparing acupuncture or acupressure against sham acupuncture, usual care, or medication. Searched multiple international databases. Included 5 trials with 277 women total. Treatment sessions ranged from 7 to 28 per person.
What they found
Acupuncture may provide greater reduction in mood-related PMS symptoms compared to sham acupuncture. Quality of evidence was rated low to very low due to small sample sizes, detection bias, and selective reporting by study authors.
What it means for you
There is very limited evidence that acupuncture helps PMS. The studies were small and had design problems, so we cannot be confident it works. Better-designed larger studies are needed before recommending it.
5
randomized trials included
277
women total
7 to 28
treatment sessions per person
About the study
- Original title
- Acupuncture and acupressure for premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Armour M, Ee CC, Hao J et al.
- Journal
- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Acupuncture or acupressure compared to sham acupuncture, usual care, or medication
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd005290.pub2
Topics
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