Dysmenorrhea: A Case Study
Many women suffer silently from painful, heavy periods, and cyclic low mood, thinking it’s just “part of life.” However, the right herbs can provide relief from unpleasant menopausal symptoms.
Name: Alana
Age: 39
Main Concerns: Dysmenorrhea (excessive heavy period), painful menstrual cramping, short cycle 25 days, low moods, history of menstrual issues since she was a teenager
Alana was struggling with the emotional side of her cycle imbalances even more than the physical symptoms. She felt she was riding an emotional rollercoaster - and at the beginning of her period each month and was teary, moody and short fused.
Patient Notes:
At our first consultation, Alana looked pale. Her tongue reading also showed paleness, indicating a blood deficiency - which wasn’t surprising when she was suffering from these heavy cycle symptoms.
When asked if she also experienced tingling hands and feet, Alana replied yes.
Alana was also having trouble with headaches and a lot of fatigue which made it difficult to exercise.
Dysmenorrhea almost always produces a lot of fatigue. The excess blood loss means the body is having to work harder each month to replace all that blood in your body. Plus the entire body is not being nourished as well by the ensuing blood “deficiency”.
I would argue that good blood supply is the most important component of overall health. Both the QUALITY and QUANTITY of your blood pumping through your veins is what nourishes and feeds every cell in your body.
If you suffer from poor quality blood - it’s like putting crappy fuel into your car. It will splutter and choke and you’ll have a rough ride. It’s the same with low quality fuel (blood) flowing around your body.
Low quality blood causes the body to not run as smoothly and causes long term problems. Low quality blood is usually caused by poor diet, excess toxins and addictions. Think about it - every cell is being nourished and re-energised by whatever is in your blood supply.
It’s not just the quality of the fuel in your body that’s important - it’s also the quantity. You want your veins to be pumping with full, plump, rich blood supply - and that means adequate water intake, good cardiovascular health - and among other factors - not losing too much blood each month from an excessive period.
Excessive menstruation shouldn't be ignored long term because it’s very draining on the body - having to produce more blood each month - and having that reserve exhausted each month. Even the shorter cycle of 25 days is more taxing on the body. The client always feels much more energised and back to their normal self once the cycle is back to a normal 28 days or more.
Assessment:
Alana was a Bear constitution: which means a cooler, damper body type. This is the excess dampness manifesting in the excessive menstruation.
The short cycle? A key indicator that she had an oestrogen dominant cycle and lower progesterone. A great herb to use for oestrogen dominance is Vitex also known as Chaste Berry. We use the berries of the plant which look a bit like grey peppercorns and has been used as a pepper substitute in history - but it’s great at rebalancing a heavy period cycle.
For the heavy periods, Lady’s Mantle is a perfect herb to lighten the flow. While Crampbark and Raspberry Leaf nourish the uterus and help reduce period pains.
Finally, Rosemary was included in Alana’s personal herbal formula to lift the veil of depression. Did you know that Rosemary - yes, the kitchen herb - is a great brain herb? It lifts depression, encourages brain function and has been used since ancient Greece to improve memory.
Vitex, also known as Chaste Berry
A herb known to assist with rebalancing women’s hormones - especially with an oestrogen dominant cycle.
The Prescription
Alana’s Period-Lightening Herbal Formula:
Usually clients at the clinic start with a two week herbal formula so we can gauge progress quickly in a fortnight and make sure the client is getting great results. However, with hormonal balance formulas we start with a full month’s worth so that we can monitor progress right through a full period cycle and make sure the formula is just right.
This herbal formula is enough to make up a 520ml bottle, which is just enough to last 4 weeks.
Raspberry leaf - 120 mL
Ladys Mantle - 120 mL
Black Cohosh - 60 mL
Vitex - 80 mL
Wild Yam - 60 mL
Rosemary - 80 mL
We also added Greens Health “Brain and Mood” herbal supplement capsules which boost brain function and also have the added benefit helping improve mood. These contain ground fresh Rosemary, Bacopa, and Gingko. Rosemary to nourish the brain and help memory, Bacon to help brain performance and Gingko which helps to bring more blood circulation to the head.
The Results of Dysmenorrhea: Case Study
Alana’s cycle and mood were both much lighter in just one month. In her second formula, I increased the Lady’s Mantle slightly to reduce the flow even more. By 3 months, the client reported her cycle back to 28 days, no cramping, and normal flow. Most importantly, Alana was no longer getting the low moods each month, fatigue was gone and her outlook on life was much brighter.