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. DESIGN: Prospective single-group intervention study. SETTING: Chiropractic Research Center. SUBJECTS: Nineteen volunteer female subjects meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for chiropractic treatment of chronic pelvic pain. INTERVENTIONS: Chiropractic treatment consisting of flexion/distraction and trigger point techniques administered by faculty clinician over a period of 6 wk. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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%). CONCLUSION: 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.