Introduction
Menstrual pain, also called dysmenorrhea, occurs a day before menstruation and lasts for a few days, resulting from uterine contractions to shed the uterine lining. The uterine contraction is usually induced by prostaglandins, which are a hormone-like substance released by endometrial cells that start to break down during menstruation. Other symptoms associated with menstruation include lower back pain, nausea, headaches, and diarrhea.
What Are the Types of Menstrual Pain?
Menstrual pain is classified into two types: primary and secondary.
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Primary Dysmenorrhea: This is the most common type of dysmenorrhea. It usually occurs within the first six months of menstruation, and the cramping pain starts a day before menstruation in the lower abdomen and radiates to the back and legs. In addition to pain, nausea and vomiting are also experienced. There is no involvement with underlying uterine conditions. This pain can be induced by prostaglandins, which are an inflammatory mediator, and the severity of the pain depends on the level of prostaglandins.
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Secondary Dysmenorrhea: The cramping pain occurs due to underlying uterine conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, infections, and cysts. This pain starts between 20 and 30 years of age and is often associated with severe vaginal bleeding or irregular periods, vaginal discharge, difficulty conceiving, and pain during sex. The underlying uterine conditions can be identified with a physical and radiological examination.
What Causes Menstrual Pain?
Menstrual pain is usually caused by an increased level of prostaglandins in the uterine lining (pro-inflammatory and pro-spasmodic mediators). These levels are usually increased during the second half of the menstrual cycle and also during menstruation, which makes the uterine muscles contract and cause menstrual cramps.
What Are the Naturopathic Approaches to Manage Menstrual Pain?
There are numerous ways of managing menstrual pain naturally, including:
Dietary Modification: Changes in the diet help reduce menstrual pain. The diet includes beans, almonds, kale, and spinach. The diet includes foods containing unsaturated fats such as olive oil, fish, and nuts, as well as foods containing antioxidant properties such as blueberries, cherries, tomatoes, squash, and bell peppers. Drinking enough water to avoid dehydration and including soy milk in the diet also helps to reduce menstrual pain. Instead of consuming regular hot beverages, swap them with herbal teas like chamomile, dandelion, raspberry, and fennel, which may relieve menstrual pain. Ginger has to be included in the diet as it contains two components – gingerols and gingerdiones, which reduce the prostaglandin level, thereby reducing menstrual pain. Ginger can be consumed as ginger chews or ginger tea to attain its beneficial effects. A gluten-free diet may help in reducing menstrual pain occurring from endometriosis.
The menstrual pain can be controlled by taking the following nutritional supplements in diet are
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids help to lower inflammation, thereby reducing menstrual pain. The most common omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods are fish oil and fatty fish.
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Calcium: Calcium is required to maintain healthy bones and also to reduce menstrual cramps by increasing muscle tone. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, and soy.
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Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, thereby reducing inflammation and menstrual pain. Vitamin D-rich foods include fish, cod liver oil, beef liver, and oranges.
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Vitamin E: Vitamin E can also help reduce menstrual pain, but it is advised to take it with the consultation of a doctor, as it may increase bleeding when the patient is already on blood thinners. Vitamin E-rich foods include plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables
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Magnesium: Magnesium also lowers menstrual cramps. Take almonds, black beans, spinach, curd, and peanuts.
Herbal Medicine: Herbs are usually consumed as dried extracts, liquid extracts, teas, or tinctures. Herbal teas like chamomile, cramp bark, ginger, fennel, and peppermint reduce menstrual cramps. Some herbs may act like hormones, especially estrogen, in the body, including chase tree or chaste berry, cramp bark, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, turmeric, and fennel, thereby reducing the symptoms of menstruation.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture helps relieve menstrual cramps by reducing inflammation. It calms the nervous system, improves blood flow to the internal organs, and reduces inflammation. It is very effective to do several visits rather than a single visit. It treats menstrual cramps based on the assessment of energy in several body regions and some dietary modifications.
Heat Therapy: Menstrual pain can be managed by applying low-level heat to the lower abdomen or lower back. It can be a hot water bottle, a heating pad, or relaxing in a warm bath to relieve menstrual cramps and discomfort. Heat application helps to relax the muscles in the area, especially the uterine muscles, and increases blood flow, which can lower the prostaglandin level, thereby reducing cramps. It is as effective as Ibuprofen.
Abdominal Massage: Menstrual pain can also be relieved by gently massaging the abdomen either by yourself or by getting a massage thereby it helps to relax the pelvic muscles and reduces cramps. It is also recommended to use some essential oils or body lotion for effective massaging to improve the effects. The oil or lotion can be prepared by adding a few drops of essential oil to an unscented oil or lotion thereby avoiding skin irritation. The most common essential oils for massaging the abdomen include rosemary, Roman chamomile, clary sage, peppermint, lavender, marjoram, and cannabis. Among these essential oils, Cannabis oil is used to relieve pain from ancient days and is obtained from the cannabis plant, and does not cause any side effects. It has weak anti-inflammatory properties, thereby reducing menstrual pain.
Exercises: Regular physical activity helps reduce the severity of menstrual pain. Mild stretching exercises, walking, and yoga help alleviate menstrual cramps by releasing endorphins that relieve pain. In some cases, menstrual pain can be reduced by orgasm, thereby releasing endorphins and other hormones to reduce the pain and the impact of uterine contractions.
Conclusion
Regular exercises or yoga, dietary modification, herbal medicine, acupuncture, physical heat application, and abdominal massage with essential oils can manage menstrual pain naturally. These natural methods reduce prostaglandin synthesis, release endorphins, and regulate the uterine muscle’s contraction and relaxation. These methods are effective only in primary dysmenorrhea. For secondary dysmenorrhea, consult the doctor and treat the underlying condition.
