Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Balancing Hormones Naturally

Headache, backache, abdominal bloating, cramping, fatigue and mood swings are just some of the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). No one's completely certain what causes premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but there's no denying the pain and distress millions of women suffer 7-10 days before menstruation every month.

Most women suffer some symptoms of PMS during their childbearing years, but between 10-20% experience severe or disabling symptoms. Drugs and psychotherapy have proven ineffective or undesirable treatment options, with many patients reporting unpleasant side effects and only minimal relief of symptoms. Previous research has suggested the potential benefit of chiropractic care (see "Chiropractic for PMS" in the August 1999 issue of To Your Health), and a recent study provides further evidence of this association. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported that in a nine-month clinical trial involving 25 women with diagnosed PMS, 16 patients received active chiropractic treatment (spinal adjustments and soft-tissue therapy) 2-3 times in the week before menses for at least three menstrual cycles. The remaining nine patients received a placebo in the form of chiropractic "adjustments," using an instrument set for minimum force, such that patients did not effectively receive treatment. The two groups eventually changed over, so that both groups received treatment and placebo during the study period. In both groups, results showed that PMS symptom scores decreased after chiropractic adjustments, with a significant decrease in scores for the active treatment phase compared to the non-treatment (placebo) phase.

In another study from The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involving 84 subjects (54 with diagnosed PMS and 30 without) evaluated the potential for chiropractic to help relieve PMS symptoms. Complete chiropractic examinations revealed that the PMS group was more likely to show signs of spinal problems (i.e., spinal tenderness, muscle weakness, neck disability, etc.) than the non-PMS group. In another study involving dysmenorrhea, the results were fewer episodes of pain with decreased intensity.

The studies suggest that chiropractic care to correct these spinal problems may be an effective way to reduce some of the symptoms of PMS and Dysmenorrhea. If you're still searching for relief from the pain and frustration of premenstrual syndrome, make an appointment at Northgate Chiropractic by calling (206) 367-2224. A complete spinal examination could be an important step toward finding a solution for PMS.


For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at

(206) 367-2224.


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