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Chinese Herbal Sachet Inhalation for Primary Dysmenorrhea in Female College Students
Sponsor: Macao Polytechnic University
Summary
Primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods without an underlying disease) is very common in female college students and can affect sleep, mood, study and daily life. This study tested whether sleeping next to a traditional Chinese herbal sachet - a small cloth bag containing a standardized blend of 13 aromatic herbal materials chosen by an expert consensus (Delphi) process - reduces menstrual pain and menstrual symptoms, and improves anxiety and depression, compared with an identical-looking placebo sachet. Eighty-two female students at Sichuan Nursing Vocational College with primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to the herbal sachet or the placebo sachet. Participants placed the sachet within about 30 cm of the head every night during sleep for 9 weeks, with a fresh sachet every 3 weeks; both groups received the same health education. Pain (visual analogue scale), menstrual symptoms (Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale), anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale) and depression (Self-Rating Depression Scale) were measured before and within one week after the 9-week intervention. Participants did not know which sachet they received.
Official title: Effect of a Delphi-Derived Traditional Chinese Herbal Sachet on Pain, Menstrual Symptoms, Anxiety and Depression in Female College Students With Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
18 Years - 25 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
82
Start Date
2023-11-01
Completion Date
2024-03-31
Last Updated
2026-08-21
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Traditional Chinese herbal sachet (aromatic inhalation)
Approximately 95-105 g powdered blend of Angelica dahurica (Bai Zhi), Syzygium aromaticum (Ding Xiang), Artemisia argyi (Ai Ye), Foeniculum vulgare (Xiao Hui Xiang), Kaempferia galanga (Shan Nai), Cinnamomum cassia (Rou Gui), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong), Cyperus rotundus (Xiang Fu), Aucklandia lappa (Mu Xiang), Rosa rugosa (Mei Gui Hua), Osmanthus fragrans (Gui Hua) and Liquidambar orientalis (Su He Xiang) in a sealed non-woven bag inside a mesh pouch, hung at the bedside within 30 cm of the nose from about 23:00 to 07:00 every night for 9 weeks; replaced every 3 weeks.
Placebo sachets
Sachet of the same size, colour and weight containing whole-wheat flour, lily powder, chrysanthemum powder and orange-peel powder, used identically to the herbal sachet.
Locations (1)
ichuan Nursing Vocational College
Chengdu, Sichuan, China