Impact of Sanyinjiao Point Complementary Therapy for the Primary Dysmenorrhoea: A Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction: Dysmenorrhoea, characterised by chronic menstrual pain often accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and reduced functional ability, remains a prevalent issue among young women, particularly nursing students. This condition significantly contributes to absenteeism and diminished academic performance due to its physical and psychological impacts. Previous studies have explored various complementary therapies, with acupressure emerging as a promising non pharmacological intervention. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure applied at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) point in alleviating symptoms of primary dysmenorrhoea among nursing students. Materials and Methods: The study employed a quasiexperimental, non equivalent pretest-post-test control group design. It was conducted from May 2022 to August 2022 at the Nightingale Institute of Nursing in Noida and the Sharada School of Nursing Sciences and Research in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Participants were nursing students with primary dysmenorrhoea, selected through purposive sampling. A total of 60 students were divided into two groups: experimental and control (30 each). Dysmenorrhoea severity was assessed using the standardised Working activity, Location, Intensity, Days, Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) scale. A pretest pain assessment was performed for both groups. The experimental group received 30 minutes of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) point, based on theoretical acupressure principles suggesting energy circuit modulation within 24 minutes. The control group received sham acupressure consisting of light touch at SP6 without applying pressure. The total duration, including pretest and intervention, was approximately 40–60 minutes per participant. Demographic variables such as age, course, type of family, religion, age at menarche, menstrual cycle pattern, pain onset and pain location were recorded. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28.0. Results: Findings revealed a significant reduction in pain intensity, days of pain and improvement in working ability in the experimental group post-intervention. Pain intensity decreased from 2.17±0.747 to 1.57±0.504), t(29)=4.289, p