Case report, 2026
Can Korean medicine help severe period pain and premenstrual stomach problems?
Yes. One 37-year-old woman had severe period pain improve from 8-9 to 0-1 on a pain scale, stopped needing painkillers, and her stomach problems resolved after 7 months of Korean medicine treatment.
What they did
A 37-year-old woman with severe dysmenorrhea and premenstrual stomach problems received Korean medicine treatment for 7 months. She received herbal medicines twice daily (Saengkangeonbi-tang in the morning and Modified Hyunburikyung-tang in the afternoon) plus acupuncture, near-infrared radiation, and wet cupping.
What they found
Period pain improved from 8-9 to 0-1 (previously required up to 4 painkillers daily), and she stopped needing painkillers. Premenstrual stomach problems and vomiting stopped. Ultrasound showed the uterine fibroid shrank and the uterine lining recovered. Thermal imaging showed improvement in upper body heat and lower body cold patterns. Muscle mass increased and body fat decreased.
What it means for you
This case suggests Korean medicine treatment may help severe period pain and premenstrual stomach problems. The main limits are that this is only one woman, treatment took 7 months, and she had a uterine fibroid which may have affected the results.
37
age in years
7
months of treatment
8-9 to 0-1
pain improvement on 0-10 scale
About the study
- Original title
- KM for Dysmenorrhea with Premenstrual Dyspepsia: A case report
- Authors
- Yanghyeon Kim
- Journal
- 대한한의학회지
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Korean medicine treatment including herbal medicines, acupuncture, near-infrared radiation, and wet cupping for 7 months
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.13048/jkm.26013
Topics
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