Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common syndrome experienced by women during their reproductive years. Up to 95% of women experience PMS with 30% experiencing moderate
to severe symptoms and in 5-10% of women, the symptoms of PMS often result in work and/or social impairment which disrupts the quality of their lives. 
The aetiology of PMS from a Western medical perspective still remains unclear even though numerous theories has been proposed. Although some pharmacological agents have proven effective and are widely used to treat the disorder, at present there are no approved medications for this disorder. In addition, most of these agents have adverse effects which limits their use in some patients. On the other hand, the aetiology of PMS from a Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view is quite clear. However, until now, there have been no rigorous TCM clinical trials on PMS. Many clinical trials in acupuncture are seriously flawed by methodological problems.
This study was designed to evaluated the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture for the treatment of PMS. Twenty-six subjects were grouped according to age and then the TCM pattern of disharmony. The subjects within each age and TCM pattern group, were then randomly assigned to a treatment group which received real acupuncture treatment or to a control group which received sham acupuncture treatment.