Efficacy of auricular therapy for endometriosis: a review study

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic disease characterized by pelvic pain and infertility. Pain is a highly prevalent and costly health problem. Auricular therapy is one form of acupuncture and a well-recognized element of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This review study was conducted with the aim of summarizing the related studies and try to identify therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms based on some clinical and experimental studies.Methods: In this study, all abstracts and full papers through electronic searches by entering the keyword in the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Google were obtained and reviewed from 2000 to 2015 . The experimental group usually received auricular acupressure applied to six true acupoints (shenmen, Kidney, Liver, Internal Genitals, Central Rim, and Endocrine).Result: Rare studies have been conducted in this field. More studies were related to dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain. The World Health Organization considers auricular therapy as a form of microacupuncture that can affect the whole body. Auricular therapy involves the relationships among the ear, energy lines (channels and meridians), and muscle regions comprising the whole body, according to a theory known as somatic reflexology. This theory posits that when a symptom or disease arises in the body, it is projected onto the ear at a regular and measurable zone.The TCM model views disease as being caused by the imbalance of a person’s energy or qi. The stimulation of auricular acupoints is, thus, intended to regulate qi, activate the meridians and collateral systems, and balance the qi aspects of yin and yang and, in so doing, has been successful in treating a variety of health problems, including pain. Auricular acupressure effectively increases parasympathetic activity to maintain autonomic function homeostasis in young women with primary dysmenorrhea and may have a value in alleviating menstrual pain and menstrual distress in a high-stress life.Conclusion: Auricular acupoint therapy can be used as daily care treatment for EM, which is a convenient method to improve the patient’s quality of life. Auricular acupressure could relieve uterine smooth muscle spasm through meridian induction and neurotransmission, reducing the secretion of serum PGE 2.

کلیدواژه ها:

Endometriosis ، Pain ، Auricular therapy