Introduction

Many girls and women suffer from period pain, in medical terms it is called Dysmenorrhoea, which defines as painful menstruation to a sufficient extent that it interferes with day-to-day activities. Due to its high prevalence, it has been a major concern for many girls and women out there. We can see that it affects widely, ranging from 45% to 93% of women of reproductive age, and the highest rates are reported in adolescents.

You might be wondering why do many females experience pain during periods. It is very simple to understand about this pain theory. Let us take an example of a wet sponge. When a wet sponge has to be dried, you may have to drain the water off by squeezing the sponge and the sponge would be dry. Now it is ready to be soaked in water again. In the similar way during menstruation, the body has to squeeze the uterus to shed the endometrium (inner the lining of the uterus) causing bleeding from the vagina and this squeeze is nothing but contraction which can be with or without pain.

Before we jump into the methods that will help in relieving the pain, it is important to understand the types and causes of dysmenorrhoea for the treatment plan.

Types of dysmenorrhoea  

We have two types of dysmenorrhea

• Primary Dysmenorrhoea - there is no identifiable pelvic pathology.
• Secondary Dysmenorrhoea - there is the presence of pelvic pathology (any disease or abnormality related to the pelvis) 

Causes

In this table let us understand the causes for dysmenorrhoea

Causes of Primary Dysmenorrhoea

Causes of Secondary Dysmenorrhoea

Due to the above-mentioned causative factors, many girls and women experience painful menstruation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, fainting, headache, exhaustion, and lethargy. This kind of painful menstruation can be managed with proper diet, exercise, simple herbs, and ayurvedic panchakarma therapies.

Management - Ayurveda

Most of the time painful menstruation and PMS can be treated by following a simple Menstrual Cycle Diet and with some exercise. In few cases, the use of herbs and therapy would be required.

In Ayurveda, we have a reference for Dysmenorrhea as Udavarta Yonivyapath and Kastartava as a symptom in many gynaecological disorders. Considering this, treatment is planned in terms of dietary modulation, medications, and therapy.

Diet

Ayurveda has emphasized on the use of meat soup, fish, Use of Shali Rice, barley, milk, and ghee in the meal and regular use of cumin, coriander seeds, pepper, long pepper, garlic, carom seeds, asafoetida in the food. These foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acid, Iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, E, K, and these spices mentioned have an anti-inflammatory property and also relieves pain.

A decoction prepared out of Shunti, Pippali, Mustha, Brahathi, Paatala herbs mixed with jaggery and curd, should be given for one week during menstruation.

Decoction prepared out of 10grams of Dasamula Churna in 300ml of water and 100ml of milk, boil till it reduces to 3/4th. This is called as Dasamula Ksheerapaka. It is one of the best remedies for relieving pain.

1 tsp of Sukumara Gritha/ Plain cow ghee with one glass of hot water on an empty stomach every day for 3 months will also help in the case of Painful menstruation.

Avoid caffeinated drinks which include tea like green tea, black tea. Caffeine can constrict the blood vessel and can worsen the menstrual cramps. Avoid aerated drinks, alcohol, salty food, junk food.

Read the Menstrual cycle diet page to know more about the diet regimen.  

Physical activity

Primary dysmenorrhea symptoms can be reduced by performing regular physical activity, which will in turn improve your health and quality of life. Yoga practice is very beneficial as it increases the blood circulation to the reproductive organs and establishes hormonal balance regulating menstruation.

Medications

There are a lot of formulation mentioned in the ayurvedic text for dysmenorrhea which not only acts as a painkiller but also has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps in regulating menstruation. Formulations like Dasamoolarista, Sukumara Kashaya, Varunadi Kashaya, Hingwastaka Churna, Tab Rajapravarthini Vati, etc are selected based on the vitiated Dosa (elements), Dhatu, Agni, Desa, Kala, and also signs and symptoms. Therefore, the above-mentioned medications are strictly prescribed by doctors for their effective results. So consult a physician.

Panchakarma Therapy

In case of painful menstruation, there is derangement or aggravation of Vata Dosha, Panchakarma will help in alleviating Vata Dosha and gives excellent result in case of this disease.  Panchakarma is a rejuvenating detox therapy, which helps to cleanse the body toxins formed by disease, environmental toxins, or poor nutrition. There are five procedures for purification- Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya, Raktamokshana. In the case of Dysmenorrhea based on the causative factor, dosha aggravation suitable therapy is chosen like Snehana (oleation therapy), Swedana (sudation Therapy), Matra Basti (enema therapy), Uttarabasti (intrauterine oil instillation), Vamana (emesis therapy), Virechana (purgation therapy). Clinical studies have shown effective results in reducing dysmenorrhea with the Panchakarma procedures.