5 Herbs for Menstrual Support
Ladies, if you’ve been a victim of the painful wrath of your uterus during menstruation, I have some valuable news for you.
First of all – you are not alone. Over 90% of females have reported experiencing painful menstrual symptoms throughout their reproductive years. These symptoms include cramping, bloating, lower back pain, headaches, breast tenderness, digestive upset, mood swings, and irritability (or even a cocktail of these debilitating symptoms). While most of us have resorted to crying, foetal position and chocolate therapy as a coping mechanism month after month, there seems to be an easier, less dramatic alternative.
Chinese herbal medicine has been used to support women’s menstrual health for thousands upon thousands of years. Unlike some of the notions we see in the West, there is no one size fits all when it comes to managing menstruation. We are all different and experience our menstrual cycle differently, which is due to a multitude of factors. Thus, I have created a varied list of herbs that will all affect menstrual symptoms in their own distinctive way.
Please note that there are numerous herbs that can have a positive effect on menstruation. Consider this is as a simple introduction to that extensive list. As always, this advice will not be suitable to all. Please consult a registered Chinese herbalist for an individualised herbal prescription if you are experiencing marked symptoms.
One | Rosebuds | Mei Gui Hua
In Chinese medicine, rosebuds are primarily used to regulate Qi. Simply put, if Qi is not flowing smoothly in our body, we will experience pain. The functions of rosebuds include promoting the smooth flow of Qi, relieving constraint, harmonizing Blood and dispersing stasis. This herb is beneficial for menstrual pain, irregular menstruation, premenstrual breast tenderness, moodiness, distention and/or pain of the flanks and epigastrium, poor appetite, belching and tightness in the chest. In Western herbal medicine, rosebuds are considered to have nervine, analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions.
Two | White Peony Root | Bai Shao
White peony root is ideal for nourishing the Blood, regulating menstruation, alleviating pain, smoothing the Liver and calming Liver Yang. These actions make it useful for menstrual dysfunction, vaginal discharge, chest or abdominal pain, cramping pain and spasms, headache and dizziness. The Western herbal properties of white peony root include anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic, anticoagulant and sedative affects. White peony root is also considered a central nervous system suppressant, which can calm the body and improve sleep.
Three | Cinnamon Bark | Rou Gui
The primary function of cinnamon is to warm the body and expel cold (which is often the culprit to blame for those painful cramps). Specifically, cinnamon warms and unblocks the channels, facilitates the flow of blood in the vessels, disperses deep cold and alleviates pain. This makes it suitable for cold limbs, abdominal pain and cold, diarrhoea, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, and lower back weakness or pain. Cinnamon is a widely used herb with an extensive list of medicinal actions, including antiplatelet, analgesic and antioxidant affects.
Four | Chinese Angelica Root | Dang Gui
Chinese angelica root is one of the most commonly used herbs for menstrual disorders. It is both a Blood moving and nourishing herb, and it also helps alleviate pain and unblock the bowels. Specifically, it is useful for irregular menstruation, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, abdominal pain, blurred vision, palpitations, constipation, and tinnitus. Chinese angelica root is a powerful antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and antioxidant herb, with some of its affects said to be greater than those of aspirin.
Five | Fennel Seeds | Xiao Hui Xiang
The primary function of fennel seeds is to disperse cold, warm the Liver and Kidneys, stop pain, and harmonize the Stomach. Fennel seeds are beneficial for pain in the abdomen due to cold (i.e, women whose menstrual cramps are alleviated by a heat pack), indigestion, reduced appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Fennel seeds have analgesic, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, cholagogic, and central nervous system suppressing affects.
So, instead of suffering your way through your next menstrual cycle, why not try a decoction or tea with one of these herbs?
Veronika Peovska
(BHSc Acupuncture)
“To be skilled at nurturing one’s nature and wellbeing is to treat disease before it arises.” - SUN SIMIAO
