A recent multicenter clinical trial found that acupuncture significantly reduced menstrual pain and improved emotional well-being in women with endometriosis. (1) As a doctor of acupuncture who has treated endometriosis over two decades, I found the results encouraging — but the study’s protocol left out a few things I’d have expected to see.
In this post, I’ll walk through what the trial actually tested, what the results showed, and where I think the treatment protocol could have gone further. For a full overview of how acupuncture and herbal medicine are used to treat endometriosis at our clinic, see our endometriosis treatment page.
Table of Contents
The Theory Behind the Trial’s Treatment
In Chinese medicine, endometriosis-related pain is most often tied to patterns of cold and blood stagnation. The trial’s protocol reflected this, using points selected to warm the body and move blood — the same logic behind acupuncture’s broader effects on circulation, inflammation, and pain signaling.
Clinical Research Shows Acupuncture Works
Recent clinical research shows acupuncture was effective at reducing pain and symptoms with women with endometriosis (1). The study involved 106 women aged between 20 and 40 years suffering from endometriosis-associated pain. They were randomly divided to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatments over 12 weeks.
After the 12 weeks of treatment, the study found a significant reduction in menstrual pain among the acupuncture group compared to the sham group at the 12-week mark. Acupuncture also reduced the overall duration of pelvic pain, improved patients’ emotional state and quality of life, and achieved a good satisfaction rate. However, the benefits of acupuncture did not persist when treatment was discontinued at the 24-week follow-up.
Beyond pain reduction, acupuncture positively affected the emotional state and quality of life in the treatment group, with participants expressing higher satisfaction levels during the treatment. This shows that acupuncture not only is helpful for reducing pain, that patients also like the therapy.
My Thoughts on their Acupuncture Treatment Protocol
The recent study illustrating the efficacy of acupuncture for endometriosis pain relief marks a significant step forward of a natural safe treatment of the condition. However, I think that simple additions to the study could have made a more powerful improvement.
The protocol included the acupuncture points Guanyuan (CV4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Taichong (LR3), Zhaohai (KI6), and Qichong (ST30), with sessions designed to align with the symptomatic phases of the menstrual cycle.
While the chosen acupoints are useful for their roles in warming and mobilizing qi, the study’s treatment methodology could benefit from additional strategies. The simple inclusion of TDP infrared heat lamp therapy or moxibustion could have further enhanced the therapeutic effects by promoting circulation and warmth at the needle sites, potentially leading to greater pain relief.
Additionally, the absence of Stomach 36 (ST36) is important to note. This is one of the most widely used acupuncture points, and for good reason. It helps to treat all types of digestive issues, pain, and inflammation. Given the frequent digestive symptoms associated with endometriosis, such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, incorporating ST36 could address these related issues, offering a more holistic approach to patient care.
The study’s reliance on a standardized treatment protocol also should be addressed. While standardization ensures consistency and helps isolate within the acupuncture treatment, it may not fully capture the individualized nature of traditional Chinese medicine. Tailored treatments, adjusted to meet the specific needs and conditions of each patient, might provide more sustained and comprehensive relief.
Future research should explore these additional treatment modalities and the impact of personalized acupuncture protocols on long-term outcomes for endometriosis-associated pain. This approach could lead to more nuanced and effective treatment strategies, aligning with the personalized nature of acupuncture practice and potentially enhancing patient outcomes.
The gap I see most often between clinical trial protocols and clinical practice is that real patients don’t get a standardized set of points. They get a plan built around their specific pattern — cold, stagnation, qi deficiency, or some mix of the three — and adjusted over the course of treatment. For a full look at how we build that individualized plan, including herbal medicine, see our endometriosis treatment page.
Feel Better, Get Acupuncture!
This trial adds to a growing body of research showing acupuncture can meaningfully ease endometriosis pain — but as the protocol itself suggests, a standardized set of points is only part of the picture. The patients I’ve seen get the most lasting relief are the ones treated according to their specific pattern, not a fixed formula.
If you’re dealing with endometriosis pain and want a treatment plan built around your own presentation rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol, call us at 212-319-5757 or make your appointment online.
Sources:
- Li PS, Peng XM, Niu XX, Xu L, Ng EHY, Wang CC, Dai JF, Lu J, Liang RN. Efficacy of acupuncture for endometriosis-associated pain: a multicenter randomized single-blind placebo-controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2023 May;119(5):815-823. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.01.034. Epub 2023 Jan 27.
