Decrease Your Menstrual Pain without Needles
By Drew Nesbitt • Filed under Menstrual Health • January 29, 2010
Many people are aware of the power of acupuncture for painful conditions like osteoarthritis of the knee or back pain but few realize that acupuncture can be used successfully for issues such as menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) 1. However, some sufferers are unable to afford regular acupuncture treatments or in some cases, people simply have anxiety issues with needles and shy away from seeking a qualified practitioner; missing out on an opportunity to experience relief.
There is now a procedure performed on the ears which takes 5 minutes to complete, costs next to nothing and best of all; has been proven to reduce menstrual pain 2. The method in question is a technique called “auricular acupressure”. This type of acupressure on the ear has been around for thousands of years in China and is very popular in Europe and North America for a number of health complaints 3.
In a 2009 randomized study, three acupressure points on the ears were pressed 15 times, 3 times per day for 20 days with the use of tiny seeds applied to specific points on the ear with adhesive tape. The control group received adhesive tape on the acupressure points but no ear seeds. Results showed that “menstrual symptoms decreased significantly after auricular acupressure by the seed-pressure method” compared to the control group. The study concluded that auricular acupressure “offers a non-invasive complementary therapy for women with primary dysmenorrhea” 2.
If you are looking for a cost effective way to reduce your monthly cramps, email Drew today and mention that you are interested in the “ear seed” technique for your menstrual pain.
1. Witt CM, Reinhold T, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized study on clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in usual care. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2008;198:166.e1-166.e8.
2. Mei-Chuan Wang, M.N., R.N.,Mei-Chi Hsu, Ph.D., R.N., Li-Wei Chien, M.D., Ph.D., Chien-Huei Kao, Ph.D. and Chi-Feng Liu, Ph.D. Effects of Auricular Acupressure on Menstrual Symptoms and Nitric Oxide for Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea. THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 15, Number 3, 2009, pp. 235–242
3. Luigi Gori and Fabio Firenzuoli. Ear Acupuncture in European Traditional Medicine. Evidenced Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Number 4, 2007, pp. 13-16.
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Drew Nesbitt is a Toronto area Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture as well as a Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner specializing in women's health.