Objective: To explore the effects of acupuncture on perimenopausal symptoms in women who underwent oophorectomy.
Methods: 67 women who had undergone oophorectomy were divided into an acupuncture group (n = 36) and a comparison group (n = 31) according to their wishes. The first group was treated by acupuncture and the latter group by Livial. Clinical symptoms were assessed by the modified Kupperman index. The levels of venous blood serum beta-endorphin (beta-EP), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) and the maturation index (MI) of vaginal epithelial cells were assessed.
Results: There were no significant group differences for the MI of vaginal exfoliative cells nor for the levels of FSH, LH and E2 after treatment (p > 0.05), but Kupperman scoring and the levels of beta-EP differed significantly between the acupuncture and the Livial group (p < 0.05). No side-effects were reported in either group.
Conclusion: Acupuncture results in a significant improvement in perimenopausal symptoms in women who have had an oophorectomy. Acupuncture performs as well or better than Livial. Yet, this result may have been influenced by a potential bias and the small sample size.