Skip to main content

Skin adhesive low-level light therapy for dysmenorrhoea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 286, pages 947–952 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The cause of dysmenorrhoea is an abnormal function of smooth muscles in the uterus due to long-term deficient blood supply into smooth muscle tissue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of skin adhesive low-level light therapy (LLLT) in participants with dysmenorrhoea.

Methods

Thirty-one women were included in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial. Twenty-one women were treated with active LLLT and ten women were treated with placebo one. The therapy was performed in a laboratory room for 20 min a day over a period of 5 days prior to the expected onset of menstruation. The outcome was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS) for each participant’s dysmenorrhoeal pain severity. VAS of each subject was measured every month for 6 months.

Results

In the active LLLT group, 16 women reported successful results during their first menstrual cycle just after active LLLT and 5 women had successful results from the second menstrual cycle after active LLLT. The pain reduction rate was 83 % in the active LLLT group, whereas there was only a slight and temporary reduction in pain in the placebo LLLT group. Changes of VAS within 6 months of LLLT showed statistical significance (p = 0.001) over placebo control.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that skin adhesive LLLT on acupuncture points might be an effective, simple and safe non-pharmacological treatment for dysmenorrhoea.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Cakir M, Mungan I, Karakas T, Girisken I, Okten A (2007) Menstrual pattern and common menstrual disorders among university students in Turkey. Pediatr Int 49(6):938–942

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Sharma A, Taneja DK, Sharma P, Saha R (2012) Socioeconomic correlates of reproductive morbidity among adolescent girls in Sikkim. India Asia Pac J Public Health 24:136–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Smith RP, Kaunitz AM, Barbieri RL, Barss VA (2011) Pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea in adult women. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed 01 Dec 2011

  4. Banikarim C, Middleman AB, Geffner M, Hoppin AG (2011) Primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed 01 Dec 2011

  5. Burton WN, Morrison A, Wertheimer AI (2003) Pharmaceuticals and worker productivity loss: a critical review of the literature. J Occup Environ Med 45(6):610–621

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bulletti C, DE Ziegler D, Setti PL, Cicinelli E, Polli V, Flamigni C (2004) The patterns of uterine contractility in normal menstruating women: from physiology to pathology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1034:64–83

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Mueller A, Maltaris T, Siemer J, Binder H, Hoffmann I, Beckmann MW, Dittrich R (2006) Uterine contractility in response to different prostaglandins: results from extracorporeally perfused non-pregnant swine uteri. Hum Reprod 21(8):2000–2005

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Berkow R (1992) The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy, 16th edn. Merck Research Laboratories, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  9. Eby GA (2007) Zinc treatment prevents dysmenorrhea. Med Hypotheses 69(2):297–301

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Marjoribanks J, Proctor M, Farquhar C, Derks RS (2010) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 20(1):CD001751 Review

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tramer MR, Moore RA, Reynolds DJ, McQuay HJ (2000) Quantitative estimation of rare adverse events which follow a biological progression: a new model applied to chronic NSAID use. Pain 85(1–2):169–182

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Smith KC (2010) Laser and LED photobiology. Laser Therapy 19(2):72–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Tiphlova O, Karu T (1988) Stimulation of Escherichia coli division by low-intensity monochromatic visible light. Photochem Photobiol 48(4):467–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ball KA, Castello PR, Poyton RO (2011) Low intensity light stimulates nitrite-dependent nitric oxide synthesis but not oxygen consumption by cytochrome c oxidase: implications for phototherapy. J Photochem Photobiol B 102(3):182–191

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Witt CM, Reinhold T, Brinkhaus B, Roll S, Jena S, Willich SN (2008) Acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized study on clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in usual care. Am J Obstet Gynecol 198(2):166.e1–166.e8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Schiøtz HA, Jettestad M, Al-Heeti D (2007) Treatment of dysmenorrhoea with a new TENS device (OVA). J Obstet Gynaecol 27(7):726–728

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Jones KR, Vojir CP, Hutt E, Fink R (2007) Determining mild, moderate, and severe pain equivalency across pain-intensity tools in nursing home residents. J Rehabil Res Dev 44(2):305–314

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Editorial committee of the Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society (2008) The acupuncture and moxibustion. Zipmundang, Seoul In Korean

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kelly AM (1998) Does the clinically significant difference in visual analogue scale pain scores vary with gender, age, or cause of pain? Acad Emerg Med 5(11):1086–1090

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Abbott J, Hawe J, Srivastava P, Hunter D, Garry R (2001) Intraperitoneal gas drain to reduce pain after laparoscopy: randomized masked trial. Obstet Gynecol 98(1):97–100

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kempf D, Berger D, Ausfeld-Hafter B (2009) Laser needle acupuncture in women with dysmenorrhoea: a randomised controlled double blind pilot trial. Forsch Komplementmed 16(1):6–12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kataoka M, Togashi K, Kido A, Nakai A, Fujiwara T, Koyama T, Fujii S (2005) Dysmenorrhea: evaluation with cine-mode-display MR imaging—initial experience. Radiology 235(1):124–131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kido A, Togashi K, Kataoka M, Maetani Y, Nakai A, Kataoka ML, Koyama T, Fujii S (2007) The effect of oral contraceptives on uterine contractility and menstrual pain: an assessment with cine MR imaging. Hum Reprod 22(7):2066–2071

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wyatt K, Dimmock P, Jones P, Obhrai M, O’Brien S (2001) Efficacy of progesterone and progestogens in management of premenstrual syndrome: systematic review. BMJ 323(7316):776–780

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Cerin A, Colilins A, Landgren BM, Eneroth P (1993) Hormonal and biochemical profiles of premenstrual syndrome. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 72(5):337–343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kelly JV (1962) Myometrical participation in human sperm transport: a dilemma. Fertil Steril 12:84–92

    Google Scholar 

  27. Bulletti C, de Ziegler D, Polli V, Diotallevi L, Del Ferro E, Flamigni C (2000) Uterine contractility during the menstrual cycle. Hum Reprod 15(Suppl 1):81–89

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Soh KS (2004) Bonghan duct and acupuncture meridian as optical channel of biophoton. J Korean Phys Soc 45(5):1196–1198

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kim SS (1989) Pyun-jac royal guide I: acupuncture and moxibustion. Kim Sung Han Inc., Seoul In Korean

    Google Scholar 

  30. Pankratov S (1991) Meridian conduct light. Raum und Zeit 35(88):16–18 In German

    Google Scholar 

  31. Karu T (1986) Biological action of low-intensity visible monochromatic light and some of its medical applications. In: Galletti G (ed) Laser. Monduzzi Editore, Bologna, pp 25–29

    Google Scholar 

  32. Yap LR (2006) Raciometric imaging of calcium in myometrial cells. Neurobiology-Physiology Major Report, University of Maryland, College Park. http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lyap/lyap.pdf. Accessed 01 Dec 2011

  33. Poyton RO, Ball KA (2011) Therapeutic photobiomodulation: nitric oxide and a novel function of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. Discov Med 11(57):154–159

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Grant of the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (The Regional Core Research Program/Center for Healthcare Technology Development). All devices used in this study were supported by Color Seven Company.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea

    Yong-Il Shin

  2. Department of Healthcare Engineering, Graduate School, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 561-756, Korea

    Nam-Gyun Kim, Kyoung-Jun Park & Dong-Wook Kim

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Wonkwang University Hospital, Iksan, Korea

    Gi-Youn Hong

  4. Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea

    Byung-Cheul Shin

Authors
  1. Yong-Il Shin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nam-Gyun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kyoung-Jun Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dong-Wook Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gi-Youn Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Byung-Cheul Shin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nam-Gyun Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shin, YI., Kim, NG., Park, KJ. et al. Skin adhesive low-level light therapy for dysmenorrhoea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286, 947–952 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2380-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2380-9

Keywords

  • Low-level light therapy
  • Dysmenorrhoea
  • Acupuncture point
  • Smooth muscle relaxation