Ugh, your period’s back again. How can it have already been a month? It’s time to pop some painkillers, break out the heat pack, and resign yourself to between one and three days of unwanted abdominal cramping and pain. Maybe even some bloating, a migraine, loose bowel motions and sore breasts to go with it. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Between 70% and 90% of Australian women suffer period pain.¹ In fact, it is such a common symptom that women often think it’s normal and therefore don’t seek help.¹ ² But pain is not normal, and you don’t have to ‘just put up with it’! There are effective, natural ways to combat period pain and other menstrual symptoms, so you can feel more like yourself all month long.

What is Period Pain?

Known to healthcare professionals as dysmenorrhea, period pain describes the painful abdominal cramping that starts at the very beginning of your period.² It usually peaks after 24 hours and decreases again at the 48 hour mark. The pain may also affect your lower back or legs,² or be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.³ Unsurprisingly, period pain can not only negatively affect your wellbeing, but also your ability to engage in your usual daily activities.

Why Are Periods So Painful?

During your period, your uterus expels its lining via uterine muscle contractions. Normally, these contractions are a painless process. However, in women with dysmenorrhea, the contractions become more intense (cue cramps) due to high levels of hormone-like molecules called prostaglandins.⁴ High prostaglandin levels can be caused by imbalances in oestrogen or progesterone, the major hormones which control the menstrual cycle.

How Does Hormone Imbalance Contribute to Period Pain?

Firstly, excess oestrogen exposure throughout the month can increase the production of prostaglandins, contributing to your pain. An oestrogen excess can develop due to inflammation, or exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals or ‘EDCs’. These chemicals, found in plastics, herbicides and pesticides on fruits and vegetables and some cleaning and skin care products, behave similarly to your natural oestrogens, resulting in increased prostaglandin levels and worsening your menstrual symptoms.⁵

Your oestrogen levels are also influenced by your body’s ability to efficiently metabolise and clear excess oestrogen – one of the ways this happens is via your liver. Subsequently, supporting healthy liver function can help manage healthy hormone levels too, leading to a smoother menstrual cycle.

Low progesterone levels, caused by excess oestrogen and potentially stress, may also contribute to period pain as insufficient progesterone is associated with high prostaglandin levels.⁴ Low progesterone is associated with PMS (premenstrual syndrome), so if you ride the emotional rollercoaster in the lead-up to your period, your progesterone levels may need support.

Fortunately, there are natural medicines and lifestyle measures to support hormone balance and help relieve period pain and other menstrual symptoms. If you’d like to learn more, find a local Healthcare Practitioner to discuss your individual symptoms and discover the benefits of personalised care.

Practical Steps to Relieve Period Pain and Balance Your Menstrual Cycle

1. Hormone Support for Healthy Menstrual Cycles

There are specific herbs and nutrients that can offer effective support in balancing the activity of oestrogen and/or progesterone, reducing pre-menstrual and menstrual symptoms including:

• Vitex Agnus Castus: Increases progesterone production, reducing levels of pain-promoting prostaglandins. It does this by inhibiting high levels of a hormone called prolactin which disrupts the body’s production of progesterone.⁶ High prolactin levels can be caused by stress,⁷ and can contribute to PMS as well.⁶
• Vitamin B6 and zinc: Vitamin B6 supports healthy hormone balance and zinc is associated with reducing PMS symptoms including breast tenderness, mood changes, headaches, muscle pain and bloating.⁸ Vitamin B6, zinc, Vitex plus other key hormone-supporting natural ingredients and antioxidants can be found in PMS Ease.
• Shatavari, dong quai, rehmannia and codonopsis: This combination of key herbs, found in Ovarianne, can help to support normal, female reproductive system health. They are traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as female tonics, to regulate a healthy menstrual cycle and may help to reduce symptoms of menstruation.

2. Manage Your Personal Symptoms

• Ginger: Ginger, found in Ovarianne , has anti-inflammatory properties. A scientific review found that taking 750 to 1000mg of supplemental ginger during the first three to four days of a period significantly reduces pain.⁹
• Magnesium: Low magnesium has been implicated in PMS, dysmenorrhoea, menstrual migraines and other menstrual symptoms.¹⁰ It reduces prostaglandin levels and can reduce muscle spasms. You might consider taking a high-quality, easily absorbed magnesium supplement such as FemmeX.

3. Develop Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Your health habits have the power to shape your periods. Incorporate the following diet and lifestyle strategies to help manage your menstrual cycle.

• Regular exercise reduces stress, decreases pain sensitivity, and lowers prostaglandin levels. A recent review of the research found that moderate levels of physical activity throughout the month can reduce period pain intensity.¹¹ Many women find yoga to be beneficial when suffering period pain.
• A healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in ‘trans fats’ (found in fried and processed foods) and animal proteins is anti-inflammatory and considered beneficial for overall health. Include foods like fish, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and chilli for their anti-inflammatory properties.
• You can reduce EDC exposure to expel oestrogen excess, as discussed above. Try to reduce reliance on plastic containers and packaging, use natural skin care and cleaning products, and wash your fruits and vegetables before consumption.

4. Seek Help from Women’s Health Experts

If period pain or other menstrual symptoms are interfering with your daily life, you can get a tailored plan that suits your unique situation, from your healthcare professional. Explore our ‘Find a Practitioner’ tool to discover someone local.

References:

1. Subasinghe AK, Happo L, Jayasinghe YL, Garland SM, Wark JD. Prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhoea, and management options reported by young Australian women. Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(11):829
2. Iacovides S, Avidon I, Baker FC. What we know about primary dysmenorrhea today: a critical review. Hum Reprod Update. 2015;21(6):762-78.
3. Mavrelos D, Saridogan E. Treatment options for primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea. Prescr. 2017;28(11):18-25
4. Bernardi M, Lazzeri L, Perelli F, Reis FM, Petraglia F. Dysmenorrhea and related disorders. F1000 Research. 2017;6
5. Park J, Lee JJ, Park S, Lee H, Nam S, Lee S, Lee H. Endocrine disrupting chemicals and premenstrual syndrome in female college students in east Asia: A multi-country study. Int J Womens Health. 2022;14:167-177. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S349172
6. van Die MD, Burger HG, Teede HJ, Bone KM. Vitex agnus-castus extracts for female reproductive disorders: a systematic review of clinical trials. Planta Med. 2013;79(07):562-75
7. Sonino N, Navarrini C, Ruini C, Fallo F, Boscaro M, Fava GA. Life events in the pathogenesis of hyperprolactinemia. Eur J Endocrinol. 2004;151(1):61-5
8. Ahmadi M, Khansary S, Parsapour H, Alizamir A, Pirdehghan A. The effect of zinc supplementation on the improvement of premenstrual symptoms in female university students: a randomized clinical trial study. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023;201(2):559-566. doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03175-w
9. Daily JW, Zhang X, Kim DS, Park S. Efficacy of ginger for alleviating the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Pain Med. 2015;16(12):2243-55
10. Parazzini F, Di Martino M, Pellegrino P. Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review. Magnes Res. 2017;30(1):1-7. English. doi: 10.1684/mrh.2017.0419
11. Matthewman G, Lee A, Kaur JG, Daley AJ. Physical activity for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2018.04.001