The Effectiveness of Chinese Medicine Nuan-gong-ye on Primary Dysmenorrhea

April 9, 2024 updated by: China Medical University Hospital
Primary dysmenorrhea is a common under-diagnosed complaint, with a prevalence of about 45-95% in women of childbearing age and about 10-25% in severe cases. Menstrual pain can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary menstrual pain is a crampy pain in the lower abdomen without any pelvic pathology, which usually occurs 6 to 12 months after the first menstruation. Primary menstrual pain is usually most severe on the first day of the menstrual cycle and lasts for 8 to 72 hours. The cause is still unknown, but studies suggest that it may be related to increased prostaglandins, which cause painful contractions of the uterus. The pain is often accompanied by other menstrual discomfort symptoms, including headache, breast tenderness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, and psychological anxiety, depression or irritability. In the case of secondary menstrual pain, there are clear pelvic pathologies, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

In this study, the ingredients of nuan-gong-ye are myrrh, dragon's blood, yanhu tuber, white mustard seed, asarum root, argy wormwood leaf, holly oil, clove oil, cinnamon bark oil, glycerin, PEG400, while the placebo was 1/20 concentration of nuan-gong-ye plus glycerin and PEG400, all from the same batch. A bottle of nuan-gong-ye will be taken for HPLC fingerprint to examine its components. A total of 140 people will be divided randomly into two groups, of which the experimental group using nuan-gong-ye and the control group using a placebo. Four menstrual cycles of the clinical trial will be conducted after recruitment. The first menstrual cycle will be non-interventional, with subjects filling out Basic information sheet, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ-SF). In the second to fourth menstrual cycles, two bottles of approximately 16 ml of nuan-gong-ye will be applied. During these three cycles, the application will begin five days before each menstrual period and end on the third day of the menstruation, with the VAS, McGill scale, and side effects questionnaire being completed. The skin should be dry before application. For each application of nuan-gong-ye or placebo, apply 10 circles clockwise from the navel to a circular area with a radius of 8 to 13 cm. The first application will be done after waking up, the second and third apply every five hours, and the fourth apply at bedtime, for a total of four applications a day. Other relief measures such as Chinese medicine, hot compresses, abdominal massage, acupuncture, and the use of other essential oils are prohibited during the research period, while painkillers are not.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
82

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Taichung, Taiwan, 404
        • Recruiting
        • China Medical University Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 20-40 year-old women
  • Regular menstrual cycle of 21-35 days, with menstruation lasting 3-7 days
  • Dysmenorrhea started before the age of 20, and have menstrual pain every month
  • No organic lesions on ultrasound within one year (either abdomen or vagina)
  • VAS score above 4
  • Agree to participate in the study and sign the consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Has used the same formula of Nuan-gong-ye before.
  • Allergic to Nuan-gong-ye.
  • Has abdominal wounds, infections, or skin diseases.
  • Pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next five months.
  • Has taken traditional Chinese medicine or prescribed medication for menstrual pain by a Chinese medicine doctor in the past month.
  • Has major illnesses defined by the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration, such as cancer, heart disease, etc.
  • Has mental illness or cognitive impairment and cannot independently fill out the questionnaire.
  • Has a history of epilepsy or pelvic disorders.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Other: Placebo
The placebo was 1/20 concentration of nuan-gong-ye plus glycerin and PEG400.
Experimental: Nuan-gong-ye
Drug: Nuan-gong-ye
In this study, the ingredients of nuan-gong-ye are myrrh, dragon's blood, yanhu tuber, white mustard seed, asarum root, argy wormwood leaf, holly oil, clove oil, cinnamon bark oil, glycerin, PEG400.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: 4 months
The intensity of menstrual pain was measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The VAS scale is a continuous horizontal line ten centimeters in length. The left end of the line, marked as 0, represents 'no pain,' while the right end, marked as 10, represents 'the most intense pain'. The VAS and McGill scales were used to assess the difference before and after each menstrual cycle.
4 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ-SF)
Time Frame: 4 months
Pain perception was measured by the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ-SF). The scale consists of 15 items, with scores ranging from 0 to 3 to assess the intensity of each pain. 0 represents 'none,' 1 represents 'mild pain,' 2 represents 'moderate pain,' and 3 represents 'severe pain.' The VAS and McGill scales were used to assess the difference before and after each menstrual cycle.
4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
China Medical University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 4, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 25, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 4, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 6, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 10, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 9, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CMUH112-REC2-063

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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