An Example of Homeopathy for Period Pain

Jenny had always had bad period pain, since she started her periods at 11. There was no underlying pathology like endometriosis or fibroids. The type of pain she experienced was a dragging, squeezing sensation, with weak legs, and the urge to open her bowels. What relieved the pain was a warm bath, sitting up and doubling up. I prescribed Jenny one homeopathic remedy for the condition itself – Sepia – and another – Magnesium Phosphoricum – to use as a homeopathic painkiller only when she was in pain. From the very first month, the Magnesium Phosphoricum effectively replaced the mainstream painkillers she had been using. And gradually, over the course of six months, her pain level went from 8/10 down to 1/10.

Two Forms of Period Pain

Dysmenorrhea, as it is medically known, can come in two forms – primary or secondary. Secondary is where the pain has an underlying cause like endometriosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, fibroids etc. Jenny suffered from Primary Dysmenorrhea, as she had no obvious underlying pathology. If you suffer from bad pain, then always get it investigated by your doctor to eliminate any underlying cause. And you may have to persist here, as I recently read of one woman who went 13 years with undiagnosed endometriosis, despite 30 visits to her GP, and which cost her marriage and her sanity. Only when she changed her GP did she get the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Possible Causes of Period Pain with No Underlying Pathology

So if there is no obvious pathology to primary dysmenorrhea, what causes it? It is often due to hormonal imbalance, which in turn can be caused by many things such as:

  • Stress
  • Not enough exercise
  • Lack of sleep
  • Weight issues
  • A Thyroid conditions
  • Poor diet, especially where there is too much salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and acidic foods
  • Deficiencies in Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and B vitamins
  • A sluggish liver, which is not processing oestrogen properly
  • Xenoestrogens (found in plastics and pesticides)

In Jenny’s case the problem was not diet or exercise, but a hormonal imbalance, caused by the onset of her periods at 11: so very physical in origin. A similar imbalance may be caused sometimes by pregnancy and childbirth. With others though, the hormonal imbalance causing their period pain may have a mental or emotional origin – some kind of shock, stress, trauma or loss. Identifying the underlying cause – be it physical or emotional – and treating it, lies at the heart of the homeopathic approach.

 

References
Marilyn Glenville
‘Reduced Quality of Life When Experiencing Menstrual Pain in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea’ published in  Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2014 Feb;93(2):213-7. doi: 10.1111/aogs.12287. Epub 2013 Nov 25.

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