Eleven female cases who experienced primary dysmenorrhea participated in this study to determine the effects of spinal manipulative therapy on the relief of pain related to the menstrual period. Eight were in the experiment group, one in the activator contact tip sham group, and two in the control group. The treatment duration was from three to four months. A questionnaire was given to each subject before and after the treatment regimes to determine a grade of disability and pain that ranged from zero to five. Treatments consisted of spinal manipulative therapy in the lumbar region as indicated radiographically. Of the eleven participants 24.6% demonstrated a vertebral displacement at the first lumbar segment, 45.5% showed a second lumbar misalignment, 54.6% a third lumbar, 63.7% a fourth lumbar, and 63.7% had a fifth lumbar subluxation. Of the eight subjects that received manipulative therapy 88% had a diminution in severity of symptomatology as determined by the grade of disability and pain. Conclusions suggest that in primary dysmenorrhea spinal manipulative therapy should be seriously considered as an alternative conservative treatment.
Reprinted from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics with copyright permission from the National University of Health Sciences.

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