Objective: To observe the meridian-acupoint reactions of foot three yin meridians in primary dysmenorrhea(PD) and secondary dysmenorrhea(SD) patients, so as to summarize the rules of meridian-acupoint reaction and acupoints selection.
Methods: Thirty-five patients with PD (PD group), 34 patients with SD (SD group) and 35 healthy subjects (healthy group) were recruited. The compression method was used to examine the lower leg segment of the foot three yin meridians. Positive reactions(palpable skin changes, including cords, nodules, depressions) and tenderness of meridians and acupoints were recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the tenderness severity of acupoints.
Results: Compared with the healthy group, the probability of positive reactions and tenderness in foot three yin meridians were higher in PD and SD groups (P<0.01,P<0.05). Compared with the PD group, the probability of positive reactions in Spleen and Liver Meridians were higher in the SD group, with higher probability of tenderness in Liver Meridian(P<0.05). The probability of positive reactions and tenderness in the Spleen Meridian of PD and SD groups was significantly higher than that in the Kidney Meridian (P<0.01), while the probability of tenderness in the Spleen Meridian of the PD group was significantly higher than that in the Liver Meridian (P<0.05). Positive reactions and tenderness were concentrated at Yinlingquan (SP9), Diji (SP8) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) of Spleen Meridian and Xiguan (LR7) and Ligou (LR5) in Liver Meridian of PD and SD groups. In comparison with the PD group, the probability of positive reactions, tenderness and VAS score of SP8 and LR5 of the SD group were higher (P<0.05, P<0.01).
Conclusion: The positive reaction occurs most frequently in the Spleen Meridian, followed by the Liver Meridian, and least frequently in the Kidney Meridian. The acupoints with positive reaction are different between PD and SD, which suggests that the Spleen Meridian acupoints should be the main acupoints when treating the two kinds of dysmenorrhea, and acupoints should also be selected according to the meridian and acupoint examination results.
目的：通过对比原发性痛经(PD)和继发性痛经(SD)受试者足三阴经经穴反应现象的异同，总结两种痛经的经络腧穴反应规律，从而探讨治疗两种痛经的选经用穴特点。方法：对35例健康受试者(健康组)、35例PD患者(原发组)和34例SD患者(继发组)，运用传统经络腧穴诊察法，在受试者足三阴经小腿段循行部位进行诊察，记录经络腧穴阳性反应物和压痛出现情况，并对压痛腧穴进行视觉模拟量尺(VAS)评分。结果：与健康组比较，原发组和继发组在足三阴经阳性反应物和压痛出现率显著升高(P<0.01,P<0.05)。与原发组比较，继发组在脾经和肝经的阳性反应物出现率、在肝经的压痛出现率显著升高(P<0.05)。原发组和继发组在脾经的阳性反应物和压痛出现率显著高于肾经（P<0.01），原发组在脾经的压痛出现率显著高于肝经（P<0.05）。原发组、继发组的阳性反应物和压痛集中出现在脾经阴陵泉、地机、三阴交和肝经蠡沟、膝关；与原发组比较，继发组地机、蠡沟的阳性反应物出现率显著升高(P<0.05)，压痛出现率、压痛VAS评分亦显著升高(P<0.01)。结论：PD和SD患者的足三阴经经络阳性反应以脾经最为显著、肝经次之，肾经则明显为轻为少；PD和SD患者出现阳性反应的腧穴有一定差异，提示针灸治疗两种痛经，足三阴经中皆应以脾经腧穴为主，还应根据经络腧穴诊察结果酌情配穴。.
Keywords: Adenomyosis; Foot three yin meridians; Meridian and point examination; Primary dysmenorrhea; Secondary dysmenorrhea.