Menstrual cramps can be incredibly annoying and uncomfortable for a woman every month. Acute to mild menstruation affects 50 to 70 percent of women at some point in their lives. It won’t be a serious concern if someone experiences menstrual cramping only once or twice in their lifetime. But, Menstrual cramps can have a detrimental impact on a person’s life with a regular cycle that lasts a month.
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Further, it is not advised to take synthetic drugs during menstruation because negative side effects can occur. This fact prevents women from receiving medical treatment to ease menstrual pain. Thus, homeopathy is the only safest alternative to get you out of this pain. These Natural remedies used in extremely diluted form can be useful for pain relief and menstrual discomfort without causing any negative effects.
Continue reading to learn more about menstruation cramps and how homeopathic treatments can help.
What Do You Mean By Menstrual Cramp?
Menstrual cramps, also known as dysmenorrhea, refer to the sharp, throbbing, intense, and cramping pain in the lower abdomen( either right, left, or both sides). It can occur before or during the duration of menstruation.
Some females do not experience any kind of lower abdomen pain during menstruation. For many, the pain is only slight, causing only slight discomfort. But, many women have to face severe pain during menses, negatively impacting daily activities.
The pain is more severe and intense if a woman suffers from any reproductive disorder. The conditions such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids intensify the menstrual cramps. Except for these disorders, they can cause many other reasons resulting in lower abdominal pain during menstruation, such as lack of adequate deficiency.
Many other factors, such as age, are also involved in determining the intensity and duration of menstrual cramps. Lower abdominal cramping usually becomes sharper when a female enters her 30s or 40s.
What Causes Menstrual Cramps?
People often ask, what hormones cause menstrual cramps? The occurrence of menstrual cramps is the higher release of prostaglandins in the body. During menstruation, prostaglandins promote the contraction of the uterine muscles. This muscle contraction causes the breakdown of the uterine endometrium and its release in the form of blood debris through menstrual blood flow. When prostaglandins are released in excess amounts for any reason, pain and uterine muscular contraction appear.
Here are the reasons which can result in higher prostaglandin release and menstrual cramping.
Endometriosis
It is a female reproductive disorder in which the tissues grow similar to the uterus endometrium on the outside of the uterus. Its symptoms usually involve severe menstrual cramping, heavy menstrual flow, infertility, and pain during intercourse.
Uterine fibroids
It is a reproductive disorder that involves the growth of non-cancerous cells in the uterus wall. The size of these fibroids varies from undetectable to bulky mass. This condition is usually not associated with any specific symptoms. However, severe menstrual flow, prolonged menstruation, cramps, and pelvic pain can indicate uterine fibroids.
Adenomyosis
It is the condition when the endometrium tissues start growing in the muscular tissues of the uterus. The symptoms of this condition also involve heavy menstrual flow, severe menstrual cramps, and pelvic pain.
Pelvic inflammatory disease
It is an infectious female reproductive disease caused by the transmission of bacteria from the vagina into the uterus. It causes vaginal discharge, intense menstrual cramps, pain during sex, and heavy menstrual flow among females.
Cervical stenosis
It involves the narrowing of the cervix opening. Small opening restricts the flow of menstrual blood, resulting in severe pain.
Types Of Menstrual Cramping or Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramps is usually divided into two types.
Primary Dysmenorrhea | Secondary Dysmenorrhea |
It does not occur due to any medical disorder. An increase in prostaglandin release usually results in primary dysmenorrhea. | It occurs due to medical disorders or female reproductive diseases such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease. |
It affects females of younger age. | It affects females in their 30s and 40s. |
Its intensity decreases with the passage of time according to age. | This condition can become more worsen with age if left untreated. |
Symptoms Of Menstrual Cramps
Symptoms of menstrual cramps include:
- Severe intense pain in the lower abdomen
- Pain gets more intense after 24 hours of the onset of periods
- Thigh pain
- Back pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Headache
- Sleepiness
Herbal or Homeopathic Remedies For Menstrual Cramps
Here are discussed the top 9 effective homeopathic remedies that can help you in relieving menstrual cramps.
Use Magnesium Phosphorica
Magnesium phosphorica is a remedy that mainly works by helping different impulses conducted toward the brain. It is primarily for pain that can be easily treated by applying heat and pressure. Menstrual cramps or menstrual pain is also a type of pain that can be relieved by heat or pressure. This makes magnesium phosphorica effective for menstrual cramps.
Its use is mostly preferred in 6X potency that comes in tablet form. To get the proper relief from menstrual cramps, taking four tablets of Magnesia Phosphorica 6X every three to four hours is recommended. With the passage of time, when you are relieved from intense menstrual cramps, lower your magnesium phosphorica to once or twice a dose a day. Magnesium phosphorica is best to use when experiencing menstrual pain due to an early menstruation cycle with darker flow color.
Use Colocynth
Colocynth is a drug obtained from the pulp of colocynth fruit or ‘bitter cucumber’. It is thought to be an effective treatment for menstrual pain. Colocynth usage is preferred by women who:
- Feel relieved in the menstrual pain by applying pressure on the lower abdomen.
- Feel better during menstruation from bending
- Experience pain worsening due to food consumption
- Experience heavy menstrual flow
If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should use colocynth 30C about 2 to 3 times per day to efficiently relieve the menstrual cramp. This dose varies depending on the intensity of the pain you are experiencing during menses.
Use Belladonna
A herbal remedy; belladonna is among the most effective herbs for menstrual cramps. The different types of pain that a woman usually experiences during menses include lower abdominal pain, back pain, and leg pain. Belladonna can cure all these kinds of pain during menstruation. This remedy is effective if you are experiencing:
- An increase in the pain intensity on lying down
- Hot and bright red menstrual flow
- Intense pain in the right side of the abdomen.
- Feeling of fullness in the uterus.
You can take this herbal drug once or twice a day at 30C potency. Again, its dose can change with varying pain intensity.
Use Sabina
Homeopathic remedies such as Sabina from the young, fresh, top branches of Juniperus sabina, also known as Savine. It is among the most effective ancient remedies for menstrual cramps. It can effectively relieve menstrual pain if you are experiencing:
- Pain spreading from the lower back to the pubes
- Heavy menstrual flow
- An increase in pain intensity on walking
- Bright red menstrual flow with clots
- Pain relief by lying on your back with extended legs.
Sabina is regarded as a potent homeopathic treatment for endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Heavy menstruation and painful cramping are two signs of uterine fibroids, a benign tumor on the uterus. Another female reproductive illness called endometriosis causes tissues that resemble endometrium to develop outside the uterus. Menstrual pain is also made worse by this disease. When used in the proper potency and duration, Sabina can assist a female in recovering from these conditions.
You can use various Sabina potencies to ease menstruation discomfort. However, it is best to begin taking it twice or three times per day at a 30C potency.
Use Nux Vomica
The Strychnos nux-vomica tree is the source of Nux vomica, a homeopathic medication. To treat menstrual cramps, you should take Nux vomica if you are:
- Feeling irritation
- Experiencing short-tempered nature
- Feeling cold
- Having an urge for bowel movement with each menstrual cramp
- Experiencing that the pain is spreading in the whole body.
Nux vomica is usually recommended for women experiencing early and heavy menstrual flow. The dose of nux vomica varies with the intensity of the pain and flow duration during menses.
Use Chamomilla
The Compositae family includes chamomilla, a homeopathic remedy used for various purposes, particularly during childbirth for women. In addition, it is considered effective in relieving menstrual pain. Menstrual cramps can be treated with chamomilla if you are:
- Experiencing intense pain, compatible with labor pain.
- Feeling irritation and offensiveness
- Having dark and heavy menstrual flow
- Experiencing menstrual flow with clots
- Feeling better when applying cold packs on the lower abdomen
Again, the dose of chamomilla will be according to the intensity of the menstrual pain.
Use Ipecacuanha
Ipecacuanha is a homeopathic medicine prepared from the dried rhizomes of Psychotria ipecacuanha, also known as Cephaelis ipecacuanha. It is best to use this drug for menstrual cramps if you are:
- Experiencing nausea and vomiting
- Experiencing sharp pain in the uterus
- Having pain extending from the left to the right side of the uterus
- Having profuse and bright red menstrual flow
If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms during menses, you should take Ipecac 30C once or twice to relieve these complaints.
Use Sepia
Sepia is a homeopathic medicine prepared by drying and triturating the liquid present in the ink bag of cuttlefish. You should use Sepia for menstrual pain if experiencing:
- Scanty menstrual flow
- Pain extending down to the pelvic area
- Half sided headache
Sepia is also effective in relieving the symptoms of uterine fibroids and pelvic inflammatory disease. Both of these diseases can also be the reason for severe menstrual cramps, which make sepia an effective homeopathic remedy for relieving pain.
To relieve pain and improve blood flow during periods, it can be taken once a day in 30C potency.
Use Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is the best tea for menstrual cramps. The special combinations of the natural compounds, particularly antioxidants present in ginger tea, boost its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. In addition to being very effective for menstrual pain, ginger tea is also compatible with synthetic painkillers.
Conventional Treatment For Menstrual Cramps
Women often ask, what are the best medicines for menstrual cramps? To sort out this inquiry, here’re discussed medical or conventional ways of treating menstrual cramps.
Pain Killers
You can take two painkillers: OTC, over-the-counter drugs, or prescribed drugs. Take regular doses of ibuprofen or naproxen sodium the day before you anticipate starting your period. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are also offered with a prescription.
Surgery
If you are experiencing secondary menstrual cramps, which means there is some kind of reproductive disorder, you may have to undergo surgery. In severe cases, doctors can prescribe the removal of the uterus to prevent any severe complications.
Conclusion
By using the homeopathic treatments indicated above, women can effectively relieve menstruation cramps. The amount of these homeopathic medicines you take varies depending on how severe the pain is. You can be prescribed better medications for pain relief by your homeopathic doctor.
Post Disclaimer
The information contained in this post "Top 9 Homeopathic Remedies For Menstrual Cramps" is for educational purposes only. Always consult your primary care doctor before using the remedies that are provided. The information is provided by The Hidden Cures and while we do timely, in-depth research on the information that we provide to you, everything stated may not be up to date or accurate from the time it was written.