The Effectiveness of Chinese Medicine Nuan-gong-ye on Primary Dysmenorrhea
Primary dysmenorrhea is a common under-diagnosed complaint, with a prevalence of about 45-95% in women of childbearing age and about 10-25% in severe cases. Menstrual pain can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary menstrual pain is a crampy pain in the lower abdomen without any pelvic pathology, which usually occurs 6 to 12 months after the first menstruation. Primary menstrual pain is usually most severe on the first day of the menstrual cycle and lasts for 8 to 72 hours. The cause is still unknown, but studies suggest that it may be related to increased prostaglandins, which cause painful contractions of the uterus. The pain is often accompanied by other menstrual discomfort symptoms, including headache, breast tenderness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, and psychological anxiety, depression or irritability. In the case of secondary menstrual pain, there are clear pelvic pathologies, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease.
- EligibilityCriteria: Inclusion Criteria:  20-40 year-old women Regular menstrual cycle of 21-35 days, with menstruation lasting 3-7 days Dysmenorrhea started before the age of 20, and have menstrual pain every month No organic lesions on ultrasound within one year (either abdomen or vagina) VAS score above 4 Agree to participate in the study and sign the consent form  Exclusion Criteria:  Has used the same formula of Nuan-gong-ye before. Allergic to Nuan-gong-ye. Has abdominal wounds, infections, or skin diseases. Pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next five months. Has taken traditional Chinese medicine or prescribed medication for menstrual pain by a Chinese medicine doctor in the past month. Has major illnesses defined by the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration, such as cancer, heart disease, etc. Has mental illness or cognitive impairment and cannot independently fill out the questionnaire. Has a history of epilepsy or pelvic disorders. - HealthyVolunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers - Gender: Female - MinimumAge: 20 Years - MaximumAge: 40 Years - StdAgeList: Adult