Painful periods do not have to be a fact of life every month. In fact, you shouldn't need to take painkillers with your period. Really, you should be pretty unaware that your period is coming or that you have it other than the obvious flow.
Common causes of painful periods include:
  • The uterus spasms because the blood supply to the lining of the uterus, i.e. the endometrium, is reduced
  • Low levels of physical activity - lots of research shows that moderate exercise helps reduce menstrual cramping
  • Emotional stress
  • Growth of uterine tissue outside the uterus (endometriosis). This tissue enlarges in response to hormonal changes and presses on nearby nerves causing intense pain
    • Hormone imbalances - usually an estrogen dominance situation where there is either a relative increase in estrogen over progesterone, or there are circulating chemicals that are behaving like estrogen in your body causing too much estrogen-like activity
  • Imbalance of calcium and magnesium - Calcium is important in normal muscle contraction and magnesium is vital for normal muscle relaxation. Signs of muscle tension like cramping can often be relieved by rebalancing the two minerals.

    • Painful periods often lead to chronic use of painkillers and anti-inflammatories. These pose potential health risks such as liver toxicity, stomach ulcers and increased risk of clotting, heart attack or stroke.

    Naturopathic Medicine Fixes

    Improve Blood Flow - Castor oil packs, stress reduction and acupuncture can all be used to improve blood flow to the uterus



    Physical Activity -Lifestyle counseling can help you incorporate regular physical exercise into your daily routine

    Emotional Stress - daptogenic herbs, vitamins and minerals and regular exercise can all help your body cope with stress better

    Endometriosis - Castor oil packs, acupuncture, elimination of dairy and wheat and liver detoxification can help resolve endometriosis tissue and remove the associated pain

    Hormone Imbalances - The liver is responsible for making building blocks for new hormones and breaking down and clearing out the old. If the liver is congested hormone imbalances can occur. Liver detoxification can help.

    Calcium and Magnesium Imbalances - Supplementation with a properly balanced calcium and magnesium product can help relieve muscle cramping and spasms that cause period pain.

    All of the above approaches have no inherent health risks, only health benefits and can also help prevent hormone related diseases such as breast cancer.

    Author-Dr. Pamela Frank, naturopathic practice with a special interest in women's health and fertility.

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