Women are all too familiar with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which usually starts anywhere from three to five days prior to their period. Symptoms can vary, but will often include swollen and tender breasts, abdominal cramps, a sore lower back, headaches, lack of energy, and rapid mood swings that often include irritability and sadness. In severe cases, some women develop what is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Unfortunately, the standard treatment for PMS is over-the-counter pain medicine and toughing it out until the following month.

Dr. Nathen Horst believes that this lack of proper treatment is unacceptable and that chiropractic care may instead help women better manage both the physical and emotional symptoms that occur with PMS. Here, he explains the potential cause for these symptoms, as well as how proper, ongoing chiropractic care may make it easier for women to get through those days leading up to “that time of the month.”

What Causes PMS?

Although a definitive cause for PMS has not yet been determined, some research appears to show that it is related to ovarian hormone levels that can change throughout the menstrual cycle. Interestingly, PMS symptoms can be dramatically improved when ovulation is suppressed, such as with hormonal birth control methods that reduce menstrual periods to only three or four per year. There may also be a link between symptoms of PMS and levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

How Can Chiropractic Reduce Symptoms of PMS?

The core philosophy of chiropractic care is that all health issues with the human body are related to the spinal column, specifically misalignments of the vertebrae. These misalignments, called subluxations, can place pressure on the nerves leading in and out of the spinal column that serve as signaling pathways between the brain and the various organs, joints, and muscles of the body.

Subluxations can occur for a number of reasons, such as poor posture, age, illness, or injury. Pressure on the nerves leading in and out of the spinal column can result in faulty signaling, which may result in many of the symptoms that come along with PMS.

When Dr. Horst performs a chiropractic adjustment to the vertebrae of the spine, he is actually helping the individual vertebrae that have become misaligned slip back into proper position. This will then relieve the pressure on the nerves, allowing for proper neural signaling to resume. For example, the brain will then be able to release more serotonin, which will improve the mood swings that are often associated with PMS.

When you stop to consider that most women start menstruating in their teens, and don’t stop until sometime in their 40s or 50s, that’s a very long time to struggle with the monthly symptoms of PMS, particularly if they are severe enough to qualify as premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Ongoing chiropractic care can help relieve both the physical and emotional issues that come along with those few days before a woman starts her period.