Today we will look at how I approach treating menstrual cramps that result from female hormonal imbalances. Cramps are defined as painful, either sharp or aching, during the menstrual cycle in the lower abdominal region or the low back.
Whenever one of my patients is in pain I always create a short-term approach and a long-term approach to address their problem. In the short-term approach, I want to help them alleviate their pain, as quickly as possible and in the long-term approach, I want to resolve the hormonal problem permanently if possible.
Let’s start by discussing the short-term solution for cramps. Pain due to menstrual cramps is often caused because of cramping in the uterus muscles as it is shedding the inner lining, the endometrium. The uterus muscles are used to help release the lining.
I recommend magnesium supplementation to reduce muscle contraction and reduce pain. Magnesium supplementation is very successful when one capsule in the morning and one capsule in the evening are taken. Magnesium citrate is my favorite effective form of magnesium.
I also I suggest eating foods that are high magnesium. Start eating the food and eating the supplementation about two weeks before the start of your menstrual cycle.
Here are some examples of foods that are high in magnesium: Swiss chard, spinach, summer squash, pumpkin seeds, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables. I also recommend drinking plenty of water -- at least 8 to 10 glasses of water each day.
In addition to the short-term solution to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps, I also have a long-term solution to address any hormonal imbalances that are usually the main cause of the menstrual cramps.
One really successful treatment that balances hormonal imbalances includes eating whole foods which are rich in essential fatty acids and fiber. Essential fatty acids omega-3, -6, and -9 are required for bodies to create steroid-based hormones.
Steroid-based hormones include estrogens and progesterone, our female hormones, but they are also the backbone for cortisol, one of our stress hormones. When we do not have an adequate supply of essential fatty acids, our stress management system and our menstrual system compete for the essential fatty acids that are available.
Our stress management system will win every time, leaving our menstrual system off balance. When the female hormones are off balance, we can experience pain and cramping, among other PMS symptoms.
When we eat foods high in essential fatty acids then we have an adequate supply for both our stress management system and our female hormonal system. Examples of foods that are high in essential fatty acids are salmon, scallops, sardines, avocadoes, legumes (phytoestrogen act like weak estrogens), flaxseeds, walnuts, cauliflower and cabbage.
Fiber food is also important for balancing our female hormones because they help us to eliminate excess hormones circulating body. Fiber foods act as a natural broom for our digestive system and help us to eliminate waste products from our body.
Once our female hormones have been used by the reproductive system they are processed by the liver and deposited in our bowels to be removed when we have a bowel movement. If we are not having daily bowel movements then those hormones can and do get reabsorbed into the body and begin to re-circulate and create an imbalance in our hormonal system causing pain before and during our menstrual periods.
Eating high fiber foods fruits, vegetable, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds allows the body to eliminate the estrogens and progesterone before they have time be reabsorbed.
You can only get fiber from foods that come from plants. Foods that come from animals don’t contain any fiber.
If you are experiencing painful cramps or difficult menstrual periods each month, it is important to consider changing your lifestyle. My patients have had remarkable results by committing to a two to three month plan of incorporating a plant-based food into what you are already eating.
If you can create 8 to 10 servings of vegetables each day, you can affect your menstrual cycle for the good. As we move into spring and summer you have many fresh and inexpensive fruits and vegetables that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
It is also important to watch your stress level. Finding ways to de-stress like exercise, deep breathing, soaking in a hot Epsom salt bath, yoga, taking a walk with your family or girlfriends, are all ways to improve your menstrual cycle as well.
Our cycles are intricately tied to how we live our life. The better we treat ourselves, the more our menstrual cycles will improve as well.
Dr. Dae
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Dr. Dae is a Naturopathic Physician who practices in the Washington DC metro area treats the whole person using safe and effective combinations of traditional and natural methods to produce optimal health and well-being in the lives of her patients.
"Menstrual cramps: Alternative medicine - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menstrual-cramps/DS00506/DSECTION=alternative-medicine
"Painful menstrual periods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003150.htm
Reviewed March 30, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith