An investigation into the effectiveness of osteopathic treatment for reducing perimenopausal symptoms

Abstract

Background: The onset of perimenopause is a significant life event for a woman, carrying with it physical, medical, psychosocial and cultural significance. An estimated 85% of women report recurring symptoms that occur in the transition to menopause.

Objective: To determine if Osteopathic Manual Therapy delivered over four weeks is an effective modality for treating symptoms associated with perimenopause.

Methods: Six participants experiencing perimenopausal symptoms each received four osteopathic treatments. Baseline and follow-up measures included the Menopause Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Greene Climacteric Scale and a Hot Flush Dairy in which participants recorded the frequency and intensity of any flushes. A follow up interview was also undertaken to gather information regarding their thoughts and experiences throughout the course of the treatments.

Results: The frequency and severity of perimenopausal complaints exhibited substantial and rapid reductions. Changes in the physical (p < 0.005) and psychological (p = 0.007) domains of the Menopause Quality of Life Questionnaire, along with the somatic (p < 0.006), anxiety (p = 0.013) and vasomotor (p < 0.025) domains of the Greene Climacteric Scale attained statistical significance. Communication, Overall Wellbeing and Lack of Knowledge arose as the key themes following qualitative analyses of the follow up interviews.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that Osteopathic Manual Therapy may be an effective modality for the reduction of perimenopausal symptoms. Further to this study, randomised controlled trials with greater participant numbers will help to provide more conclusive data about the possible benefit of this therapy for women experiencing perimenopausal symptoms.