%0 Journal Article
%T Acupuncture with manual and low frequency electrical stimulation as experienced by women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a qualitative study
%A Annika Billhult
%A Elisabet Stener-Victorin
%J BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6882-12-32
%X Eight women with PCOS living in western Sweden, were interviewed following repeated acupuncture treatments. Data was analyzed using systematic text condensation as described by Malterud.The experience of acupuncture for women diagnosed with PCOS can be described in five categories; the experience of hope, getting results, feelings of responsibility, skepticism and proof of effect, and feeling normal.Since acupuncture is a promising treatment for the symptoms of the common syndrome PCOS, the present study adds to the knowledge base by providing the important experiences of patients receiving the treatment. Acupuncture provides a possibility for patients to gain hope as the treatment shows results. The results show that acupuncture empowers the patients to take responsibility for their future well-being, although they may have been initially skeptical to the treatment. Because the syndrome had affected them for some time, even small changes offered a chance for them to feel that their bodies were capable of normal function.The trial is registered at Clinical Trials.gov with Identifier number NCT00484705.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10 percent of all women of reproductive age and is associated with anovulation/oligoovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries (PCO) [1,2]. PCOS is associated with metabolic disturbances including obesity and insulin resistance with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease [2]. In addition, women with PCOS display reduced health-related quality of life as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression [3,4]. Despite its high prevalence, there is no gold standard for long term treatment of women with PCOS. Pharmacological treatment is often effective but associated with unwanted side effects. The use of acupuncture among women visiting reproductive endocrinologist/fertility clinics is common and varies from 22% in the United States, to 12.5% in Australia and to 8% in the United Kingdom [5-7]. R
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/32