Primary dysmenorrhea, or painful menstrual periods, results from uterine muscle contractions as tissue passes through a narrow opening in the cervix. Secondary dysmenorrhea is associated with conditions such as endometriosis that may produce lesions, which effect the reproductive cycle. Pain can be experienced before, during, or after menstruation.

Menstrual is derived from the Latin word menstrualis, meaning "month." Menses is based on the Latin word mensis, derived from the Greek word or "month." These words were later used to describe the monthly flow of blood from the uterus.

Conventional medicine lists a tipped uterus, lack of exercise, and anxiety as contributing factors in dysmenorrhea. Oriental medicine adds overwork, stress, chronic illness, excessive sexual activity, and improper recovery from childbirth as additional situations that contribute to monthly discomfort. Conventional medical treatments include applying local heat to the abdomen, drug therapy for pain and in the case of secondary dysmenorrhea correction of underlying abnormalities through surgery.

A research article published in the January 1987 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed that acupuncture can help alleviate primary dysmenorrhea. Ninety percent of the women who underwent regular acupuncture treatments designed to treat their painful periods showed improvement during this one-year study, while also being able to reduce their pain medications by 41 percent.

Oriental Medicine Helps the Flow

For dysmenorrhea, as for all conditions, your unique individual characteristics and overall health determine the appropriate oriental medical diagnosis and treatment plan. I tend to see a great deal of women with conditions traditionally referred to as stagnation of cold in the lower abdomen. Their symptoms usually include pain that is present before or after the period in the center of the lower abdomen. The pain gets better with heat and gets worse from cold. Women with this type of condition tend to feel cold all over, have a sore lower back, and produce very little menstrual blood with dark clots.

This condition responds well to acupuncture or acupressure, moxibustion, warming Chinese herbs, and the dietary guidelines. I encourage you to seek care for this common but treatable condition.