--- title: Does acupuncture help treat PMS? | Niyora description: Yes, acupuncture appears more effective than medication and sham acupuncture for treating PMS. When to start treatment does not significantly affect how well url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/acupuncture-for-premenstrual-syndrome-at-different-intervention-time-a-systemic-2019/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does acupuncture help treat PMS? Systematic review, 2019 # Does acupuncture help treat PMS? Yes, acupuncture appears more effective than medication and sham acupuncture for treating PMS. When to start treatment does not significantly affect how well it works. Moderate study design 1103 women with PMS across 15 randomized trials ## What they did Searched 9 electronic databases through September 2018 for randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture to medication, sham acupuncture, or no treatment for PMS. Included 15 trials with 1103 women total. ## What they found Acupuncture significantly improved the effective rate of treatment for PMS compared to medication and sham acupuncture. When acupuncture started made no significant difference in results. The three most commonly used acupuncture points were SP6, LR3, and RN4. ## What it means for you Acupuncture may work better than other treatments studied for PMS. However, researchers said larger and more carefully designed studies are needed to confirm these findings. 15 randomized trials included 1103 women studied 3 most commonly used acupuncture points ## About the study Original title Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome at Different Intervention Time: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis Authors Zhang J, Cao L, Wang Y et al. Journal Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM Year 2019 Study design Systematic review What was tested Acupuncture using various acupoints, especially SP6, LR3, and RN4 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1155/2019/6246285](https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6246285) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common gynecological conditions with no standard modern therapeutic schedule. Some studies have reported the effects of acupuncture in treating PMS, but the intervention time varies. This review evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture for patients with PMS and the appropriate time to initiate acupuncture therapy. The review has been registered on the "PROSPERO" website; the registration number is CRD42018109724. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed on 9 electronic databases from the time of inception to September 2018. RCTs studies on acupuncture for PMS compared with medication, sham acupuncture, or no treatment were included. Statistical analysis and investigation of heterogeneity source were carried out using RevMan5. 3. Results: A total of 15 studies, comprising of 1103 cases, were included. Overall, acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of PMS compared with medicine and sham acupuncture. Subgroup analyses showed no significant difference among different intervention time to start acupuncture treatment. Among the acupoints involved in the treatment of PMS, SP6, LR3, and RN4 were the most commonly used. Conclusions: The current meta-analysis reveals that acupuncture leads to better effective rate, but the intervention time has no significant effect on the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for PMS. SP6, LR3, and RN4 are the most commonly used acupoints in treating PMS. However, large-scale, case-control studies with rigorous designs are required to provide more accurate evidence. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Acupuncture and acupressure](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-acupuncture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2026 Which traditional Chinese medicine treatments work best for PMS? Systematic review, 2024 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Systematic review, 2022 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Review, 2017 Can combining different types of treatments help PMS more than using one approach alone? Systematic review, 2014 Do acupuncture and herbal medicine help PMS or PMDD symptoms? Systematic review, 2010 Does acupuncture treat premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗