Randomized controlled trial assessing a traditional Chinese medicine remedy in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. Rose tea for relief of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial in Taiwan.
A proof-of-concept study to assess the safety and efficacy of a traditional Chinese medicine formula as treatment for primary dysmenorrhea showed no statistically significant benefit over placebo. However, some efficacy parameters suggested possible superiority of the active treatment and so a larger study needs to be performed to determine whether this remedy has a role in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea occurs in as many as 50% of female adolescents and is associated with significant decreases in academic performance, sports participation, and socialization with peers. Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options are of interest to patients and health care providers. The use of rose tea to alleviate menstrual pain has long been a part of folk knowledge around the world but has not been studied scientifically. To determine the effectiveness of drinking rose tea as an intervention for reducing pain and psychophysiologic distress in adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea, 130 female adolescents were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 70) and a control (n = 60) group. Preintervention and postintervention data at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months were gathered on the biopsychosocial outcomes of dysmenorrhea. The results showed that compared with the control group, the experimental group perceived less menstrual pain, distress, and anxiety and showed greater psychophysiologic well-being through time, at 1, 3, and 6 months after the interventions. Findings suggest that drinking rose tea is a safe, readily available, and simple treatment for dysmenorrhea, which female adolescents may take to suit their individual needs.
The review found promising evidence supporting the use of Chinese herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhoea; however, results are limited by the poor methodological quality of the included trials.