menstrual cramps information
Menstrual cramping, known as “dysmenorrhea,” is a painful affliction that accompanies menstruation in approximately 50 percent of women. As the lining of the uterus (endometrium) begins breaking down during menstruation, dying tissues release hormones called prostaglandins into the blood stream. Prostaglandins cause the muscles of the uterus to contract as they force the endometrial material through the cervix and the vagina. As pieces of the uterine lining pass through the cervix, pressure from contracting muscles may cause pain in the uterus. Most menstrual cramps last from 15 to 90 seconds and generally start in the lower abdomen and pelvis. Pain can be continuous or periodic and usually lasts for 2-4 days.
Menstrual cramps affect more than 50 percent of women worldwide and more than 15 percent suffer from severe cramping that limits physical activity. Acupressure can reduce the pain associated with menstrual cramps and provide a natural form of relief.
Herbalists often recommend blood-moving herbs if the cramps are accompanied by a sluggish or scanty flow, or antispas...
True to its name, cramp bark is an important remedy for cramps of the smooth muscle (especially for menstrual cramps)...
Cramp bark () is a deciduous tree or shrub that is native to Europe and the eastern United States. It is a member of ...
Menstruation refers to the monthly discharge through the vagina of the blood and tissues that were laid down in the u...
Dysmenorrhea is the occurrence of painful cramps during menstruation.More than half of all girls and women suffer fro...
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menstrual cramps blogs
As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine
and a specialist in Women's Health and Fertility, I see many women with
menstrual irregularities. They come to me with moderate to severe
monthl...
A recent German study published in the February, 2008 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology confirms that acupuncture can relieve a woman of her menstrual pain.
In the stud...
I am continually surprised how many women believe that their menstrual cramps and the monthly bloating, irritability, breast pain etc. they experience are totally normal, not a big deal, and unavoi...
By Ursula Mack, N.M.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
What is PMS? One out of two women ask this question. The definition of PMS is that it is a hormonal disorder characterized by...
Let's face it, as women we
have all at some point in our lives experienced PMS, or premenstrual
syndrome. If it is a mild case it can be unpleasant, but if severe it
can be debilitating. Some of...