Period Pain (Dysmenorrhea)

Period pain is also called dysmenorrhoea (painful menstrual bleeding). Period pain is a common problem, and when severe it can stop you from doing your usual activities. However, there are treatments available for painful periods.

Period pain symptoms:

The main symptom of period pain is cramping pain in the lower abdomen (pelvis), which begins just before the start of menstrual bleeding and usually lasts about 2 or 3 days. The severity ranges from mild to severe and incapacitating.

Other symptoms associated with period pain include:

• low back pain;
• pain in the thighs;
• diarrhoea;
• nausea and vomiting;
• tiredness;
• headaches; and
• dizziness or feeling faint.

Types of dysmenorrhea

There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary.

Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common kind of period pain.

It is period pain that is not caused by another condition. The cause is usually having too many prostaglandins, which are chemicals that your uterus makes. These chemicals make the muscles of your uterus tighten and relax, and this causes the cramps.

The pain can start a day or two before your period. It normally lasts for a few days, though in some women it can last longer.

You usually first start having period pain when you are younger, just after you begin getting periods. Often, as you get older, you have less pain. The pain may also get better after you have given birth.

Secondary dysmenorrhea often starts later in life.

It is caused by conditions that affect your uterus or other reproductive organs, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. This kind of pain often gets worse over time. It may begin before your period starts, and continue after your period ends.

Dysmenorrhea and Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Although there are an overly abundant number of women out there who suffer from dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation, unfortunately most women, grew up believing that all this monthly discomfort is normal. Sadly, it is not considered normal, most especially in TCM. But the good news is that it can be better!

Similarly to how we look at PMS in the blockage of energy flow, when it relates to menstrual pain that blockage is far more intense and often involves aspects of cold or heat that magnify the severity.

Examination of all the relevant and contributing health and lifestyle factors helps get to the root and diagnose the specific causes of this issue for each woman.

Acupuncture and cupping treatments are then tailored to meet those unique indications and aims to clear away the blockages involved, often with the incorporation of Chinese herbs to strongly support improvement and outcomes.