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Abstract

ABSTRACT

The Use of Alternative Medicine for Dysmenorrhea

Park, Sun-Mi Advisor : Prof. Park, Sang-Hag M.D., Ph.D. Department of Alternative Medicine Graduate School of Health Science Chosun University

This study aims to identify the symptoms of menstrual pain, the effect of complementary alternative therapy on decrease in menstrual pain and subjects' satisfaction in the therapy. The subjects of the study were 200 women who have menses in ages from 18 to 55 among visitors of five public health centers and attendants of A church in Gwangju. The period of the study ranged from September 6 to October 10, 2010. As a study instrument, this study used a questionnaire developed based on questions from studies published by An Seung-duk(2003), Yun Byeong-han(2002) and Kim Ji-min(2008). This study used SPSS 17.0, for a frequency analysis, a cross-tabulation and a chi-squared test. The results of the study are presented as follows: 43.4% of the subjects used the complementary alternative therapy. 40% of the subjects decided to use it themselves and 46.5% through recommendations from friends or families. 56.3% visited used oriental medical clinics or herbal medicine shops as places to use the therapy, 42.5% received medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping at oriental medical clinics and 23% received them from private clinics. 55% used the therapy below three month and 25.5% below six months. As expenses of the therapy, 56.3% spent less than 500,000 won a year and 43.5% more than 500,000 won a year. After the therapy, 51% answered they were satisfied with the therapy and 9% answered they were unsatisfied. In conclusion, it was discovered that use rate of the therapy is increasing, the subjects decided to use the therapy for themselves or through recommendation from acquaintances, and they mainly depended on reliable oriental medical clinics or folk remedies against menstrual pain. They used the therapy for a relatively short period and with small expenses. The side effects of the therapy were relatively low. To encourage the patients with menstrual pain to use the therapy, further research on the effect of the therapy and efforts by medical staff and therapists are needed and insurance benefits for the therapy which is in a blind zone of medical insurance should be considered except oriental medical hospitals or clinics.

key words : patients with menstrual pain, complementary alternative therapy and use condition.