Anit C Charls1, Nidhi Rawat2, Kurian Zachariah1. 1. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. 2. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. dr.nidhi_rawat@yahoo.co.in.
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: This was a single-centre, prospective, descriptive, hospital-based study in females with spinal cord injuries (SCI). OBJECTIVES: To study menstrual changes after SCI. SETTING: The in-patient and out-patient services of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of a tertiary care institute in India between October 2018 and October 2020. METHODS: SCI females who were included in the study answered a questionnaire regarding amenorrhea after injury, menstrual cycle regularity, frequency, duration, flow, dysmenorrhoea and presence of autonomic dysreflexia during menstruation. All the study related data was analysed using SPSS version 24. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: 40 females were included. 31 (77.5%) had amenorrhea. The mean duration of return of menstruation was 2.65 months. There was significant reduction in the duration of menstrual flow (p value < 0.001), amount of flow (p value = 0.041) and dysmenorrhea (p value < 0.001) after SCI. CONCLUSIONS: Amenorrhea was seen in 77.5% females. Most of them resumed their menstrual cycle. The menstruation duration and flow were reduced significantly. There is a need to address concerns and reassure females regarding resumption of menstruation after SCI.
STUDY DESIGN: This was a single-centre, prospective, descriptive, hospital-based study in females with spinal cord injuries (SCI). OBJECTIVES: To study menstrual changes after SCI. SETTING: The in-patient and out-patient services of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of a tertiary care institute in India between October 2018 and October 2020. METHODS: SCI females who were included in the study answered a questionnaire regarding amenorrhea after injury, menstrual cycle regularity, frequency, duration, flow, dysmenorrhoea and presence of autonomic dysreflexia during menstruation. All the study related data was analysed using SPSS version 24. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: 40 females were included. 31 (77.5%) had amenorrhea. The mean duration of return of menstruation was 2.65 months. There was significant reduction in the duration of menstrual flow (p value < 0.001), amount of flow (p value = 0.041) and dysmenorrhea (p value < 0.001) after SCI. CONCLUSIONS: Amenorrhea was seen in 77.5% females. Most of them resumed their menstrual cycle. The menstruation duration and flow were reduced significantly. There is a need to address concerns and reassure females regarding resumption of menstruation after SCI.