CONDITION: Dysmenorrhea

DESCRIPTION:
Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for severe pain during menstruation. It is estimated that approximately 50 percent of all women suffer from the disorder at some point in their lives. However, for one-fifth of these women the pain is so severe that is causes a disruption of their normal activities. Pain from dysmenorrhea is usually experienced 24 hours before menstruation or during the first few days of the cycle.

How does dysmenorrhea develop?
There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary, for which allopathic medicine can find no obvious cause, and secondary, which is the result of a disorder of the reproductive organs. Primary dysmenorrhea usually appears in the early teens. The pain is related to the hormonal activity involved with the monthly release of eggs from the ovaries. The pain usually appears one to two years after the first period and usually subsides between the ages of 25-30. After childbirth the condition often disappears.

Women who suffer from secondary dysmenorrhea are usually older than those with primary dysmenorrhea. Conditions that may be responsible for secondary dysmenorrhea include endometriosis, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease or the use of an intrauterine device.

In addition, with female-related conditions, an estradiol excess (which can occur by taking oral contraceptives or other synthetic forms of estrogen) often is found to be part of the patient's physiology. Knowing that the development of the disease may be closely linked to this factor, natural medicine practioners always address this excess in treating dysmenorrhea.

What are the symptoms of dysmenorrhea?
The symptoms for dysmenorrhea vary greatly from person to person. Common symptoms include cramping and sharp pains in the lower abdomen, lower back and thighs; nausea and vomiting; diarrhea; sweating; lack of energy; increased urinary frequency; and irritability, nervousness and depression.

Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of dysmenorrhea but they do not address the root of the problem. Discover why we believe that natural medicine treatments are the best way to treat dysmenorrhea.

Learn about the treatments for Dysmenorrhea