Dealing with menstrual cramps without Advil

It’s that time of the month again, and you find yourself popping back advil just to get through your day. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Painful menstruation, or dysmennorhea, is a very common condition affecting more than 50% of menstruating women. Unfortunately the cause is unknown, however risk factors include smoking, obesity, heavy or prolonged menstrual flow, positive family history and early menarche (first period at age 12 and younger).

Secondary dysmenorrhea are menstrual cramps due to a specific pelvic or systemic condition and thus a proper assessment is important to rule these more serious conditions out. Whatever the origin of the pain, there are natural alternatives to dealing with it in the moment, and preventing it altogether.

As for pain management, herbs such as ginger, cramp-bark (go-figure), red -raspberry and Valerian are great options to soothe the excited pelvic muscles. Acupuncture, Hydrotherapy and Nutritional supplementation are also great options to relax those angry lady parts.

Prevention is key, and this is where I can work with you individually to attain posture and spinal alignment, stress reduction, weight management, avoidance of allergens and smoking, exercise and optimizing digestion and food choices.

Say no to advil, and bye to your cramps for good!