A case study published on July 19, 2010 in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, documents the care of a 25 year old woman who had not yet had her first menstrual cycle without the use of prescription birth control pills.
According to the case study authors, amenorrhea is defined as the “absence of spontaneous menses in a woman of reproductive age”. Primary amenorrhea, as was the case of the woman in this study, is where a woman has not experienced any menstrual periods by the age of 16. Most women have their first menstrual period by the age of 15.
In this case, a young woman sought out chiropractic care initially for a primary complaint of headaches. Upon taking her history, the woman revealed that she had never started her menstrual period as a child and that currently she had not experienced a menstrual period in approximately three years. By the age of 18, the woman was put on synthetic progesterone and birth control pills to force a menstrual cycle. She noted that she did not like the side effects and therefore discontinued the medication.
Examination revealed the presence of subluxations and a course of specific chiropractic adjustments was initiated. On her third visit, the woman reported that her tension headaches were much improved, but she still had not yet experienced a menstrual period. On her fourth visit, 19 days after her initial chiropractic evaluation, the woman reported she experienced two days of menstruation for the first time in her lifetime without the use of birth control.
The authors of the study presented a clear rationale for the reasoning behind why a woman with amenorrhea would respond to chiropractic care by stating, “Chiropractic’s role in this condition is based on the principle that there is a “neurospinal influence” upon the physiology of every organ and system within the body. This would include the reproductive and endocrine systems, which are primarily in control of the menstruation process. The chiropractic profession maintains that spinal misalignments, or “vertebral subluxations,” cause interference to this neurospinal system and that in turn the interference affects one’s state of health. Based on this premise, by correcting subluxations, chiropractic can reduce nervous system interference and improve nerve function thereby allowing the body, including the reproductive and endocrine systems, to function properly.
