What treatments are effective for dysmenorrhea?
Feb 24, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. An Na
Introduction
What Can Treat Dysmenorrhea?
Dysmenorrhea can be managed through dietary therapy (medicinal food remedies) and medications.
Dietary Therapy:
- Black Chicken Soup: Add dried tangerine peel (Chen Pi), galangal (Liang Jiang), and tsao-kuo (Amomum tsao-ko) to chicken soup.
- Ginger, Jujube, and Brown Sugar Decoction: Simmer shredded ginger, brown sugar, and jujubes over low heat until reduced to one bowl; drink while warm.
Medication:
When pain is severe, analgesics are typically the most effective option for symptom relief.
Many women experience significant discomfort each month during menstruation due to dysmenorrhea (painful periods). In some cases, the pain is so severe that it causes nausea and vomiting, and may even require analgesic medication for relief. So, what treatments are effective for dysmenorrhea? Let’s explore this together.
Effective Treatments for Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea can be managed through dietary therapy (medicinal food regimens) and pharmacological interventions.
Dietary approaches include black-boned chicken soup, prepared with dried tangerine peel (Chen Pi), lesser galangal (Liang Jiang), and tsao-kuo (Amomum tsao-ko).
Ginger–Jujube–Brown Sugar Decoction: Simmer sliced ginger, brown sugar, and jujubes over low heat until reduced to one bowlful; drink while warm.
Pharmacological relief offers the most direct and rapid approach. When pain is severe, analgesics are often the best option. Among these, Aijia Dysmenorrhea Tablets are commonly used—providing rapid efficacy with minimal side effects when used correctly, making them the preferred choice for women experiencing intense menstrual pain.
Patients with dysmenorrhea should first identify its underlying cause. Primary (physiological) dysmenorrhea results from uterine and cervical spasms during menstruation, leading to cervical stenosis and impaired menstrual outflow. If diagnostic evaluation reveals no organic pathology, treatment is generally unnecessary. Secondary (pathological) dysmenorrhea, however, arises from structural abnormalities such as adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian endometriomas (“chocolate cysts”), or congenital genital tract anomalies. Patients with suspected secondary dysmenorrhea should seek prompt medical evaluation and appropriate management.
Dietary recommendations should be tailored to the individual’s TCM pattern diagnosis: warming and promoting circulation for cold-stagnation patterns; activating blood and resolving stasis for qi stagnation–blood stasis patterns; and tonifying deficiency for qi- and blood-deficiency or kidney-deficiency patterns. For individuals with cold congealing and qi stagnation—characterized by aversion to cold and cold limbs—foods that warm the meridians and dispel cold are recommended, such as chestnuts, lychees, brown sugar, ginger, and fennel seeds.
For those with qi stagnation and blood stasis, foods that regulate qi flow and invigorate blood circulation are advised, including celery, shepherd’s purse, spinach, scallions, cilantro, water spinach, ginger, carrots, tangerines, tangerine peel, finger citron, bananas, and apples.
For individuals with constitutional weakness, qi and blood deficiency, or kidney deficiency, foods that tonify qi, nourish blood, and strengthen the kidneys are recommended—such as walnuts, lychees, longans, jujubes, mulberries, goji berries, Chinese yam, and various legumes.
We hope this overview proves helpful to you.
