Menstrual Cramps – Part II
Sep 29, 2009 | Comments 2 | Periods
The presence of many underlying medical conditions could also be the reason behind menstrual cramps that include:
- Endometriosis – When the tissues in the uterine lining starts developing outside it.
- Uterine fibroids –When tumors and growths of non-cancerous origin start developing on the uterine wall.
- Adenomyosis – When the tissues lining the uterus start growing into the muscular uterus walls.
- PID or Pelvic Inflammatory disease – A bacterium-induced STD or sexually transmitted disease.
- Cervical stenosis – the cervical opening is small that obstructs the menstrual flow.
Menstrual Cramps Symptoms:
- Dulling, spasmodic, sharp pain felt in the lower abdomen.
- Lower back pain that extends to the thigh region.
- Nauseous feeling.
- Vomiting.
- Sweating.
- Giddiness.
- Watery stools, diarrhoea.
- Constipation.
- Distended feeling in the belly region.
- Headaches.
- Unsteadiness or a sense of fainting.
Diagnosis & Tests:
Majority of women are able to decipher menstrual cramps without any physician assistance. When severe pain is felt or there are certain underlying contributors to the pain, the doctor would recommend scanning for images of the abdomen, uterus, cervix, vagina and fallopian tubes. The scanning procedures include ultrasound, CT or computerised tomography scan, MRI scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. These scanning procedures assist in detecting medical condition like endometriosis, adhesions, fibroids, ovarian cysts and ectopic pregnancy.
Menstrual Cramps Treatment:
- Over-the-counter medicines that are mostly anti-prostaglandin-based, aid in reducing uterine spasms, lighten the menstrual flow and allay aches. Several of these medicines additionally contain pain-relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen that are forms of NSAIDS or Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs when used singularly also assuage menstrual discomfort.
- At times, the doctor would advise the use of hormonal contraception pills. Such pills hinder ovulation and lower the severity of painful periods. A study has revealed that nearly 97 percent of doctors during the course of an opinion poll vouched for the continual usage of oral birth control treatment as a means of suppression of menstruation is deemed safe and suitable – despite several women being unaware of this fact.
- Scientists from the Imperial College of London have established that chamomile tea aids in relieving menstrual pains.
- A study has shown that the course of Chinese herbal medicines have been proven to be helpful to menstruating women.
- When underlying medical conditions like endometriosis or fibroids are the reasons behind menstrual cramps, then surgical intervention would be necessary for the removal of anomalous tissue. Though surgery might aid in lowering the extent of menstrual cramps, it had other risk elements.
- Adjunct treatments have been recommended in relieving menstrual cramps like hot baths, usage of heated padding on the lower portion of the abdomen, sex, yoga, meditating, massage therapy, acupuncture, TENS or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and having supplements like vitamin E, thiamine and omega-3. Women ailing from menstrual cramps must get proper rest and sleep alongside exercising regularly.
Prevention:
One might be able to avert menstrual cramps. Suggested pre-emptive guidelines include:
- Including the regular intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and restricting the consumption of fatty items, alcohol, caffeine, sodium and sweets.
- Regular exercise.
- Lowering stress.
- Smoking cessation.
- Yoga or repose therapy.
- Acupuncture or acupressure.
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Very simple, this is the most usefull post I ever read about this subject. I love acupuncture and I am vey interested about acupuncture needles and this sort of cure.
Keep it doing.Acupuncture is the most beautifull medicine art.
There are many symptoms that accompany menstruation. Normal menstruation usually has a regular cyclicity, a consistent flow pattern, and a minimal amount of clots. Travel, stress, trauma, and dietary changes can all alter the menstrual cycle. These alterations should be temporary and any persistent change should prompt you to have your body evaluated. On the other hand, how your menstruation is changed can alert you to how your body is reacting to stress.
Some discomfort associated with the onset of menstruation is normal. Pains that are increasing or require pain medications are not normal and need to be evaluated. Especially in teens whose menarche and subsequent menses are irregular or painful, this may indicate an underlying problem such as endometriosis. By first prescribing oral contraceptives for this condition without addressing the underlying imbalance – the inflammatory activity – the problem may persist even years after initial onset. This may also affect fertility when planning a family later in life. Other reasons for painful menstruation can be infection, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, IUD usage, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and uterine fibroids. Chinese Medicine believes that when we experience pain, the body is trying to communicate to us an imbalance needing treatment or care. The approach to treating pelvic menstrual pain needs to be a natural and holistic one. This means we need to not only address the pain and associated symptoms, but we also need to address the underlying cause. By identifying the nature of the condition, appropriate acupuncture treatment or herbal remedies can be administered to address the condition as a whole. The key to successful eradication of menstrual pains and associated symptoms is to treat the condition early on.