Self-Acupressure for Primary Dysmenorrhea and Premenstrual Symptoms

Effects of Self-Acupressure on Primary Dysmenorrhea and Premenstrual Symptoms in Women Aged 18-30: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, 6-Month Trial

This randomized, sham-controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of self-administered acupressure on menstrual pain severity and premenstrual symptoms in women aged 18-30 years with primary dysmenorrhea. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a self-acupressure intervention group or a sham self-acupressure control group. The intervention will be applied during the premenstrual and menstrual periods over approximately six months. The primary outcome is the change in menstrual pain severity, and secondary outcomes include changes in premenstrual symptom severity, analgesic use, and menstruation-related activity limitation.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Primary Dysmenorrhea; Menstrual Pain; Premenstrual Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Self-Acupressure; Other: Sham Self-Acupressure

Detailed Description

Primary dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome are highly prevalent conditions among women of reproductive age and are associated with substantial impairment in quality of life, academic or work performance, and daily functioning. Although pharmacological treatments such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormonal contraceptives are commonly used, they may be ineffective, contraindicated, or undesirable for some individuals. Therefore, non-pharmacological, low-cost, and self-administered approaches are of clinical interest.

This study is a randomized, parallel-group, sham-controlled clinical trial designed to investigate the effectiveness of a self-acupressure protocol on menstrual pain and premenstrual symptoms. Eligible participants are women aged 18-30 years with regular menstrual cycles and clinically significant primary dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms. Participants are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a verum self-acupressure group or a sham self-acupressure group.

The verum intervention consists of self-administered acupressure applied to predefined acupoints (SP6, CV4, ST36, and LV3), while the sham intervention uses non-acupoint locations near the same anatomical regions. Both interventions are matched in terms of training, session duration, frequency, and pressure intensity. Participants are instructed to perform acupressure daily during the premenstrual phase and on the first days of menstruation across approximately five to six consecutive menstrual cycles.

Outcome assessments are conducted at baseline and at the end of the six-month follow-up period. The primary outcome is the change in menstrual pain severity measured by a visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes include changes in premenstrual symptom severity scores, analgesic consumption, and menstruation-related school or work absenteeism. Adherence and participant-reported feasibility are also recorded. The study is conducted under minimal-risk conditions, and all participants provide written informed consent prior to enrollment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Pınar Erdoğan, Assoc. Prof.; Phone Number: +905233646954; Email: drpinarerdogan@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Merkez
    • Niğde, Merkez, Turkey (Türkiye), 51240
      • Recruiting
      • Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Hospital
      • Contact: Pınar Erdoğan, Assoc. Prof.; Phone Number: 05233646954; Email: drpinarerdogan@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female participants aged 18 to 30 years
• Regular menstrual cycles (21-35 days)
• Diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea with moderate to severe menstrual pain
• Presence of premenstrual symptoms consistent with premenstrual syndrome
• Currently enrolled as a university student
• Willingness to perform self-acupressure as instructed for approximately six menstrual cycles
• Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Secondary dysmenorrhea (e.g., endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease)
• Current use of hormonal contraceptives or hormonal therapy within the past 3 months
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Chronic gynecological, endocrine, or systemic disease that may affect menstrual pain or symptoms
• Regular use of analgesic or anti-inflammatory medications outside menstruation
• Prior formal training or regular practice of acupuncture or acupressure
• Inability to comply with study procedures or follow-up schedule

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Self-Acupressure Intervention; Participants receive structured training in self-administered acupressure at predefined acupoints (SP6, CV4, ST36, and LV3). Participants are instructed to apply acupressure using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation for approximately six consecutive menstrual cycles. The intervention is performed according to the study protocol in addition to usual care.	Other: Self-Acupressure; Participants receive structured training in self-administered acupressure at predefined acupoints (SP6, CV4, ST36, and LV3). Training is provided face-to-face at baseline. Participants are instructed to apply acupressure using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation across approximately six consecutive menstrual cycles.
Sham Comparator: Sham Self-Acupressure; Participants receive structured training in sham self-acupressure matched to the experimental intervention in terms of training format, session duration, frequency, and pressure intensity. Sham acupressure is applied at non-acupoint locations adjacent to the same anatomical regions as the experimental points, using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation for approximately six consecutive menstrual cycles.	Other: Sham Self-Acupressure; Participants receive structured training in sham self-acupressure matched to the experimental intervention in terms of training format, session duration, frequency, and pressure intensity. Sham acupressure is applied at non-acupoint locations adjacent to the same anatomical regions as the experimental points, using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure during the premenstrual phase and the first days of menstruation across approximately six menstrual cycles.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in menstrual pain severity	Change in menstrual pain severity measured using a visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10), where higher scores indicate more severe pain. The primary outcome is defined as the change in mean VAS score from baseline to the end of the 6-month follow-up period.	Baseline and end of 6 months (approximately 5-6 menstrual cycles)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in premenstrual symptom severity	Change in premenstrual symptom severity assessed using a validated premenstrual symptom scale. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. Change is defined as the difference between baseline and end-of-study scores.	Baseline and end of 6 months
Analgesic use during menstruation	Use of analgesic medication during menstruation, recorded as the number of days and/or doses of analgesic intake per menstrual cycle.	Assessed throughout the 6-month follow-up period
Menstruation-related absenteeism	Number of school or work days missed due to menstrual pain or premenstrual symptoms, self-reported by participants.	Assessed throughout the 6-month follow-up period

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Intervention adherence	Adherence to the self-acupressure protocol, calculated as the percentage of completed sessions out of the total prescribed sessions based on participant logs.	Over 6 months
Participant satisfaction with the intervention	Participant-reported satisfaction with the intervention assessed using a single-item numeric rating scale ranging from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.	End of 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Nigde Omer Halisdemir University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 8, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 18, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dysmenorrhea; Menstrual pain; Non-pharmacological treatment; Self-acupressure; Sham-controlled trial; Premenstrual symptoms
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Pathologic Processes; Pelvic Pain; Menstruation Disturbances; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Premenstrual Syndrome; Dysmenorrhea
• Other Study ID Numbers: 22504254-050.04/18-75

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared publicly. De-identified data will be stored securely and used only for the purposes of this study and related publications, in accordance with institutional ethics approval.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No