Auricular Acupressure for Premenstrual Syndrome in Female Students

Summary

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a common gynecological disorder that significantly affects the quality of life for women of reproductive age, with symptoms including emotional, behavioral, and physical disturbances occurring approximately one week before menstruation. PMS is especially prevalent among female undergraduate students, who often experience heightened stress due to academic pressures and lack emotional coping strategies. While pharmacological treatments, such as SSRIs and hormonal therapies, have been used to manage PMS symptoms, they may have side effects and are not always effective in the long term. This has led to increasing interest in alternative treatments such as traditional medicine. Auricular acupressure, a non-invasive and low-risk method, has shown promising results in managing PMS symptoms and is gaining attention as a possible solution.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of auricular acupressure in reducing PMS symptoms in female undergraduate students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does auricular acupressure reduce the severity of PMS symptoms in female undergraduate students?
* Is auricular acupressure safe and well-tolerated by participants? Researchers will compare the intervention group (receiving auricular acupressure) to the control group (receiving sham auricular acupressure) to see if auricular acupressure has a significant impact on reducing PMS symptoms and improving quality of life.

Participants will:

* Receive auricular acupressure on specific acupoints or sham treatment.
* Complete assessments of PMS symptoms using the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) at baseline, 1 week, and 8 weeks.
* Complete a quality of life assessment using the WHOQOL-Bref scale at the same time points.
* Be monitored for any adverse effects during the 8-week trial period.

Conditions

• Premenstrual Syndrome

Interventions

OTHER

Auricular acupressure therapy

Auricular acupressure will be performed using Cowherb seeds (Wangbuliuxing seeds) applied to specific acupoints, including Shenmen (TF4), Sympathetic (AH6a), Endocrine (CO18), Liver (CO12), Kidney (CO10), Subcortex (AT4), and Zero Point on one ear, with treatment administered once a week, alternating between the left and right ears. In total, auricular acupressure was applied 8 times over a period of 8 weeks. The first treatment session occurred 5-7 days prior to the onset of menstruation. Participants were instructed to perform acupressure at the acupoint sites three times daily-morning, noon, and evening-pressing each point for 1 minute per session.

OTHER

Sham auricular acupressure therapy

Sham auricular acupressure therapy will be performed using similarly sized adhesive patches without seeds, applied to the same acupoint locations as in the intervention group. The procedure steps and the duration of the trial were the same as in the auricular acupressure group.

OTHER

Lifestyle modifications

Lifestyle modifications will be followed according to the "Guidelines for the Management of Premenstrual Syndrome" by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), which will include: Regular moderate exercise (such as walking, yoga, or swimming), stress reduction, and ensuring quality sleep (7-8 hours per night); Reducing intake of salt, sugar, and foods containing saturated fats; Increasing intake of high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables; Avoiding smoking, and limiting alcohol, and other stimulants.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Deputy principal · University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-04-20

Primary Completion

2025-06-30

Completion

2025-06-30

Countries

• Vietnam

Study Locations