Virtual Menstrual Pain Approaches in Females

Summary

This research study is testing two self-care approaches that may help prevent or reduce period pain in young females with primary dysmenorrhea, a common condition that causes painful menstrual cramps. Participants will be placed by chance into 1 of 3 groups: auricular acupressure, Baduanjin qigong, or a self-care education comparison group. The auricular acupressure and Baduanjin groups will receive online training and then practice the treatment on their own for 12 weeks. The main question is whether these two approaches can reduce the severity of menstrual pain. The study will also look at whether they can improve other symptoms that often happen with period pain, such as tiredness, poor sleep, anxiety, low mood, trouble concentrating, and reduced physical function. Researchers will also study stool and blood-related biological markers to better understand whether changes in gut bacteria and body metabolism may be linked to symptom improvement. A total of 145 participants will take part in the study at NTU, and any side effects or other safety concerns will be checked every week.

Conditions

• Pain (Visceral, Somatic, or Neuropathic)
• Women of Reproductive Age
• Mental Disorder
• Digital Health
• Acupressure
• Traditional Exercise
• Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction
• Metabolomics

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Auricular Acupressure

Virtual auricular acupressure involved acupuncturist-led virtual auricular acupressure treatment and self-administered application in this trial.

BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Baduanjin Qigong Exercise

Virtual Baduanjin Qigong Exercise involves instructor-led virtual exercise training and self-administered Baduanjin Qigong Exercise in this study.

BEHAVIORAL

Self Education

Attention Control with virtual training on menstrual hygiene and self-led menstrual health education.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

  collaborator OTHER

• Nanyang Technological University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-15

Primary Completion

2028-12-20

Completion

2029-03-20

Countries

• Singapore

Study Locations