Chiropractic care for women with chronic pelvic pain: a prospective single-group intervention study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of chiropractic care for women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) as a first step in designing a randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Prospective single-group intervention study.


METHODS
Chiropractic Research Center.


METHODS
Nineteen volunteer female subjects meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for chiropractic treatment of chronic pelvic pain.


METHODS
Chiropractic treatment consisting of flexion/distraction and trigger point techniques administered by faculty clinician over a period of 6 wk.


METHODS
Pain Disability Index (PDI) was the primary measure; secondary outcome measures were Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS), RAND-36 Health Survey and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All were administered at baseline and at 6 wk.


RESULTS
Eighteen subjects completed the study, with an attrition rate of 5%. The mean improvement in the PDI score was 13.0 points (p = .001); in the VAS it was 4.0 cm (p = .001); and in the BDI it was 6.1 points (p < .001). All eight subscales of the RAND-36 Health Survey increased post-intervention, with the largest differences in role function limitations because of physical problems (45.8%), emotional problems (44.4%) and pain (40.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
The chiropractic treatment used in this study had positive short-term effects. These results will be used to design a randomized clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of chiropractic care in the treatment of CPP.
Hawk
C
C
Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Davenport, Iowa 52803, USA.
Long
C
C
Azad
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002684:Chiropractic / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome