5 Herbal Remedies For Relief of Menstrual Cramps

Menstrual cramps, also called dysmenorrhea, are cramping aches and pains that typically affect the lower abdomen but may also radiate to the lower back and thighs. Thought to be caused by excess levels of prostaglandins (hormone-like substances linked to pain and inflammation), menstrual cramps often occur just before and during the first few days of a woman's menstrual period. Some women also experience loose stools, headaches, nausea or dizziness.

For many women, menstrual cramps occur without an underlying health condition (such as endometriosis). But if you're experiencing regular or severe cramping, consult your doctor to see if you're suffering from an underlying health issue that might be causing the pain (such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or uterine fibroids).

Herbal Remedies for Menstrual Cramps;
So far, scientific support for the claim that any remedy can treat menstrual cramps is limited. Here's a look at five kinds of herbal medicine that are sometimes recommended by alternative medicine practitioners:

1. Ginger
This warming herb may help ease cramps and soothe menstrual troubles by lowering levels of pain-causing prostaglandins (as well as fight the fatigue commonly associated with premenstrual syndrome). In a 2009 study, women who took 250 mg capsules of ginger four times a day for three days from the start of their menstrual period experienced a level of pain relief equal to that of study members who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

Another study, published inBMC Complementary and Alternative Medicinein 2012, analyzed the use of ginger root powder or a placebo in 120 women with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea and found that there were significant differences in the severity of pain between the ginger and placebo groups.

Those taking ginger root powder two days before the onset of their menstrual period and continuing through the first three days of their menstrual period had the shortest duration of pain.

2. Fennel
An herb with a licorice-like taste and celery-like crunchy texture, fennel contains anethole (a compound with anti-spasm effects) that may help to ease menstrual cramps in some women. The available research includes a study published in theIranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research in 2015 that examined the effects of a fennel extract (fennelin) and vitagnus compared to the pain medication mefenamic acid for primary dysmenorrhea. For the study, 105 women with mild to moderate dysmenorrhea took either fennel extract, vitex extract, mefenamic acid, or a placebo. During the two cycles after the intervention, both fennelin and vitagnus had a greater effect compared with the mefenamic acid.

3. Raspberry Leaf Tea
Sipping soothing raspberry leaf teamay help relieve menstrual cramps, possibly by relaxing the muscles in the uterus. Pregnant or nursing women and people with hormone-sensitive conditions (such as breast cancer) should avoid red raspberry leaf.

4. Pycnogenol®
Extracted from the bark of pine trees, the supplement Pycnogenol® was found to significantly diminish pain and reduce the need for analgesic pain medication among a group of women with menstrual cramps in one 2008 study.

5. Chinese Herbs
In a 2007 report, scientists sized up 39 studies (involving a total of 3,475 women) and concluded that Chinese herbs may alleviate menstrual cramps more effectively than over-the-counter pain medications. Most study participants were given formulas containing five or six herbs (used in traditional Chinese medicine), such as Chinese angelica root, fennel fruit, licorice root, cinnamon bark, and red peony root.

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