A Root Cause Approach to Naturally Healing Period Pain
Period pain can be a burden to deal with and most of the mainstream treatments include Advil, Midol, or birth control. These medications aren’t a long term solution and you might be wondering if there a natural treatment to period pain. You’re in luck! There is a natural solution to period pain that we’ll cover in this blog post, keep reading to find out.
Disclaimer: the information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat. Make sure you contact your doctor if you think you have a medical problem.
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Period Pain – is it normal?
Many women struggle with period pain each month during their period, and did you know that your periods shouldn’t be painful? When I found that out, I was SHOCKED. I thought period pain was normal, because that’s all I really knew before going to naturopathic medical school and learning what a normal period should look like.
There can be many causes for painful periods, like endometriosis or a difference in how the uterine muscle contracts, which ends up causing pain.
During the menstrual cycle, there is a lining that is built up inside your uterus to help support implantation of an egg if you were to become pregnant. Once ovulation comes and your egg is not fertilized, there is no longer the need for that lining anymore, so your hormones drop and your period starts.
Your uterus is made up of a few layers, one of which is a muscle. During your period, the uterus starts to contract to push out the lining it just made. If the contractions are too strong or too frequent, then you can have significant pain and cramping during your period. There isn’t enough blood flow and oxygen to the area, so pain is the result. The abnormal contractions are usually due to something called prostaglandins, when they are not in balance, they usually cause inflammation, resulting in pain (1).
What Causes Period Pain?
There are many reasons why period pain may be occurring. Often times, there is inflammation that is triggering an imbalance of prostaglandins in the uterus. The trick is to find out what is causing the inflammation in the first place.
Common Causes of Period Pain:
Stress
Dysbiosis and gut health issues
Hormonal imbalances between estrogen and progesterone
Lack of blood flow to the uterus
Structural issues like a retroverted uterus or issues in the lumbosacral area
High histamine levels
Fibroids, polyps
Endometriosis, adenomyosis
Poor muscle tone of the pelvic floor
How Do I Know What is Triggering Period Pain?
Important questions:
How long is your whole cycle?
How many days is your period?
Do you experience heavy bleeding? How many times a day are you changing your menstrual products? And are you changing them frequently because you’re bleeding through?
Do you notice any clotting in your menstrual blood?
What color is your menstrual blood?
Any other symptoms that you’re experiencing?
Getting the right workup is going to be vital when it comes to addressing period pain. Working with a gynecologist to get a work up to make sure the cause isn’t structural or related to fibroids and polyps is going to be important. There are often other signs and symptoms pointing in this direction, but an ultrasound can be helpful for ruling these causes out.
As a naturopathic doctor, my job is to help you find the root cause of your period pain when there isn’t something structural going on. When working together, we’ll dive into the severity of your period pain, what your menstrual cycle looks like, and the details about your diet, lifestyle, stress, etc. All of these areas of your life impact your menstrual cycle!
The next step is to get appropriate labs for period pain to help investigate the root cause. Labs are going to be important, especially if there is a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. For those who are dealing with period pain, I often run a DUTCH test which gives us a great understanding of what is going on with many of the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol.
There is also a marker on this test that can tell us the status of your gut. This is helpful when the hormonal imbalances are coming from the digestive tract and poor gut health.
How is Period Pain Treated?
Treating period pain will depend on your presentation of symptoms and what the lab results come back with. Getting a good picture of what’s going on inside of your body is going to be vital at addressing the root cause. The best way to get to the root cause is by working with an experienced practitioner to get the proper workup done.
Natural Remedies for Period Pain:
Fish Oil: There are many studies that have looked at fish oil for reducing period pain. Due to the inflammatory nature of period pain, increasing omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) can help to decrease inflammation in the body.
Magnesium: Magnesium has an anti-spasmotic action, relieving spasms in the muscles of the uterus. Studies have shown that supplementing with magnesium throughout the month can decrease the spasm of the uterine muscles during a period.
Carrots: Remember that trending carrot salad all over social media? Turns out there is some truth to it! Carrots are rich in many nutrients like vitamins A, B, C, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium. Carrots are also a great source of fiber. This can help to optimize gut health and increase the release of excess estrogen that could be the trigger to period pain.
Ginger: This anti-inflammatory herb can stop the release of prostaglandins in the uterus, making it a great option when dealing with period pain from inflammation.
Dealing with period pain is no fun, especially when you find yourself calling out of work, missing activities, all because you got your period. Getting to the root cause will not only help you reduce period pain, but allow you to live your life again.
Imagine not dreading your period every month? I know this was the case for me when I got my period, now I welcome the bleed without worry. Working with a naturopathic doctor can give you the piece of mind when it comes to your period! Check out my Hormone Balancing Package and book your visit today!
Talk soon!
xx Dr. Alyssa
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