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Nag U, Pal RK, Saha S, Alam SM, Parvin T, Gole R, Debnath P, Sengupta S, Koley M, Roy U, Akram J, Shaikh AR, Koley M, Mukherjee SK. Treatment of Menstrual Irregularities with Individualized Homeopathic Medicinal Products in Early Reproductive Females: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE 2024. [PMID: 39084625 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2024.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Objectives: Prevalence of irregular menstrual cycle ranges from 81.7% to 96.3%. Recent research suggested that homeopathy is one of the most popular choices for women with various gynecological disorders. This trial was aimed at differentiating individualized homeopathic medicinal products (IHMPs) from identical-looking placebos in the treatment of menstrual irregularities in early reproductive women. Design: Double-blind, randomized (1:1), two parallel arms, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Subjects: Ninety-two females with menstrual irregularities. Interventions: Group verum (n = 46; IHMPs plus concomitant care) versus group control (n = 46; placebos plus concomitant care). Outcome Measures: Primary-The proportion of early reproductive females in whom menstrual irregularities can be corrected for consecutive three cycles; Secondary-Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) total score; all of them were measured at baseline and every month, up to 4 months. Results: Intention-to-treat sample (n = 92) was analyzed. Group differences were examined by chi-squared tests with categorical outcomes, two-way repeated measure analysis of variance accounting for the time-effect interactions, and unpaired t-tests comparing the mean estimates obtained individually every month. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05 two-tailed. After 4 months of intervention, the group difference in the primary outcome was nonsignificant statistically-IHMPs: 22/46 v/s placebo: 24/46, chi-square (Yates corrected) = 0.043, p = 0.835. The improvement observed in the MDQ total score (F1,90 = 0.054, p = 0.816) and subscales scores were higher in the IHMPs group than in placebos, however statistically nonsignificant in most of the occasions, except for the behavioral change subscale (F1,90 = 0.029, p < 0.001). Pulsatilla nigricans was the most frequently prescribed medicine. Kent's Repertory and Zandvoort's Complete Repertory were the most frequently used repertories. No harm or serious adverse events were reported from either group. Conclusions: The analysis failed to demonstrate clearly that IHMPs were effective beyond placebos in all but one of the outcomes. More appropriate outcome measures may be sought for future trials. Clinical Trial Registration Number: CTRI/2022/04/041659.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usashi Nag
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Rajat Kumar Pal
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Subhranil Saha
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sk Monsur Alam
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Tahira Parvin
- Department of Gynecology, Baruipur Sub-district Hospital, Baruipur, West Bengal, India
| | - Raghubir Gole
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Pintu Debnath
- D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sumana Sengupta
- Department of Practice of Medicine, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Mousumi Koley
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Urmi Roy
- Department of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Junayed Akram
- Department of Materia Medica, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Abdur Rahaman Shaikh
- Department of Practice of Medicine, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Munmun Koley
- East Bishnupur State Homoeopathic Dispensary, Chandi Daulatabad Block Primary Health Centre, Bishnupur, West Bengal, India
| | - Shyamal Kumar Mukherjee
- Department of Community Medicine, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, India
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Rodrigues JC, de Arruda GT, de Moraes PC, Firão CB, Avila MA, Driusso P. Self-management of primary dysmenorrhea-related pain: cross-sectional study on non-pharmacological interventions. Pain Manag 2024; 14:265-272. [PMID: 39041620 PMCID: PMC11340746 DOI: 10.1080/17581869.2024.2376519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: Different nonpharmacological strategies are adopted to decrease primary dysmenorrhea (PD)-related pain. The present study aimed to verify women's use of nonpharmacological methods for pain and compare them with evidence from the literature.Materials & methods: A two-step study was conducted, comprising an online survey with 9144 women to assess nonpharmacological strategies for relieving PD-related pain, and a literature review on PubMed of verify the evidence of nonpharmacological methods.Results: Many women reported using heat therapy (61.5%), tea (42.4%) and massage (30.9%) to alleviate menstrual pain. However, the literature on these methods is limited.Conclusion: Several nonpharmacological methods are used by women to relieve PD-related pain and studies with low bias risk are needed to prove their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Cordeiro Rodrigues
- Women's Health Research Laboratory, Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Tavares de Arruda
- Study Group on Chronic Pain (NEDoC), Laboratory of Research on Electrophysical Agents (LAREF), Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905,Brazil
| | - Pâmela Calixto de Moraes
- Women's Health Research Laboratory, Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Caren Beatriz Firão
- Study Group on Chronic Pain (NEDoC), Laboratory of Research on Electrophysical Agents (LAREF), Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905,Brazil
| | - Mariana Arias Avila
- Study Group on Chronic Pain (NEDoC), Laboratory of Research on Electrophysical Agents (LAREF), Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905,Brazil
| | - Patricia Driusso
- Women's Health Research Laboratory, Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil
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Ghosh S, Ravindra RK, Modak A, Maiti S, Nath A, Koley M, Saha S. Efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines in primary dysmenorrhea: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2023; 20:258-267. [PMID: 34085495 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2020-0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Homeopathic treatment is claimed to be beneficial for primary dysmenorrhoea (PD); still, systematic research evidences remain compromised. This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IH) against placebo in the treatment of PD. METHODS A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the gynecology outpatient department of Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India. Patients were randomized to receive either IH (n=64) or identical-looking placebo (n=64). Primary and secondary outcome measures were 0-10 numeric rating scales (NRS) measuring intensity of pain of dysmenorrhea and verbal multidimensional scoring system (VMSS) respectively; all measured at baseline, and every month, up to 3 months. Group differences and effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated on intention-to-treat (ITT) sample. RESULTS Groups were comparable at baseline (all p>0.05). Attrition rate was 10.9% (IH: 7, placebo: 7). Differences between groups in both pain NRS and VMSS favoured IH over placebo at all time points (all p<0.001, unpaired t-tests and two-ways repeated measures analysis of variance) with medium to large effect sizes. Natrum muriaticum and Pulsatilla nigricans (n=20 each; 15.6%) were the most frequently prescribed medicines. No harms, serious adverse events and intercurrent illnesses were recorded in either of the groups. CONCLUSIONS Homeopathic medicines acted significantly better than placebo in the treatment of PD. Independent replication is warranted. Trial registration: CTRI/2018/10/016013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhamoy Ghosh
- Dept. of Pathology & Microbiology, Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Rai Khushboo Ravindra
- Dept. of Repertory , Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Amila Modak
- Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Shukdeb Maiti
- Dept. of Repertory , Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Arunava Nath
- Dept. of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Pratap Chandra Memorial Homoeopathic Hospital and College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Munmun Koley
- Dept. of Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy, State National Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Subhranil Saha
- Dept. of Repertory, D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Tsonis O, Gkrozou F, Barmpalia Z, Makopoulou A, Siafaka V. Integrating Lifestyle Focused Approaches into the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: Impact on Quality of Life. Int J Womens Health 2021; 13:327-336. [PMID: 33762855 PMCID: PMC7982556 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s264023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This narrative review aims to identify alternative ways to improve the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea (PD). BACKGROUND PD refers to endometrial painful cramps during the premenstrual period. This condition affects a lot of women worldwide and is accompanied with absenteeism and high economic costs, thus, risk-free, and effective therapeutic approaches are needed. Pharmacological agents such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), which are widely prescribed for these women, demonstrate adequate efficacy in alleviating pain and discomfort. The long natural course of the disease dictates remedies that focus on lifestyle changes and on improvement of Quality-of-Life (QoL) for women suffering with PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five major search engines, namely MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published prior to October 2020 focused in PD. A total of 74 paper were included. DISCUSSION Physical activity, for instance yoga, aromatherapy massage, and other forms of relaxation, vitamins and dietary changes, acupressure and acupuncture,a and some psychological interventions are just few of the proposed health behavior targeted approaches in cases of PD. This review focuses on lifestyle changes and alternative methods that could potentially result in minimizing symptoms of PD and in improving overall QoL for these patients, by providing current scientific evidence on their efficacy. CONCLUSION Complementary and alternative medicine practices (CAM) are widely accepted by women. International literature provides controversial scientific evidence, thus further studies need to be conducted in order to prove or disregard their efficacy in cases of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orestis Tsonis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Fani Gkrozou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Zoi Barmpalia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Annamaria Makopoulou
- School of Psychology, College of Human Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK
| | - Vassiliki Siafaka
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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Chen L, Tang L, Guo S, Kaminga AC, Xu H. Primary dysmenorrhea and self-care strategies among Chinese college girls: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e026813. [PMID: 31537555 PMCID: PMC6756436 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea (PD), the characteristics of PD and self-care strategies for managing PD among Chinese college girls. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Changsha, China. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2555 college girls were recruited using multistage cluster random sampling. OUTCOME MEASURES A self-report questionnaire was used to measure sociodemographic information, characteristics of PD and self-care strategies for managing PD. Additionally, a Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure pain severity. RESULTS Of the 2555 girls, 1306 had experienced PD, representing a 51.1% prevalence. In addition, the prevalence rates of mild, moderate and severe pain in PD were 18.1%, 27.7% and 5.4%, respectively. The most common symptoms associated with PD were cramps (96.9%), weakness (70.0%), backache (65.1%), facial blemishes (55.3%) and irritability (55.3%). Commonly used self-care strategies for managing PD comprised reducing physical activity (94.6%), keeping warm (84.6%), communicating dysmenorrhea with friends or classmates (79.0%), drinking warm beverages (75.7%) and avoiding cold drinks and foods (74.2%). In addition, only 34.8% self-medicated with Western medicine (15.6%), traditional Chinese medicine (8.6%), or both (10.6%). Medical advice was sought by 27.4% of subjects from a Western medical doctor (10.3%), a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (13.6%), or both (3.5%). Girls who had greater pain severity were more likely to be self-medicated (OR=7.01; 95% CI 4.50 to 10.91), use complementary therapies (OR=2.64; 95% CI 1.70 to 4.10) and seek medical advice (OR=5.93; 95% CI 3.80 to 9.24). CONCLUSIONS PD is highly prevalent among Chinese college girls, with a high burden of symptoms. In addition, these girls are most likely to change their lifestyle, communicate dysmenorrhea with friends or mothers, use heat therapy and engage in self-talk, but less likely to self-medicate or seek medical advice for managing PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Chen
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Tang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shengyu Guo
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Atipatsa Chiwanda Kaminga
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huilan Xu
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Münstedt K, Riepen T. Patients’ decisions regarding the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea. Complement Ther Med 2019; 45:1-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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The Association of Anthropometric Indices with Dysmenorrhea in High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/intjsh.80870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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