Try Ginger for Painful Periods

A new study has suggested that the herb ginger could be helpful for women suffering from painful periods. . . . 

122 women with moderate to severe dysmenorrhoea (painful periods) were given either 250mg of ginger every six hours until they experienced pain relief or 250mg of the drug mefenamic acid every eight hours until they experienced pain relief.

The study lasted for two menstrual cycles and found that the two treatments reduced the pain significantly and equally. By the end of the study, about half of the women in each group had improved from moderate/severe pain to mild pain. Though fewer women in the drug group had severe pain at the end, it is important to remember that, while ginger is very safe, NSAID’s like mefenamic acid cause ulcers, bleeding and other side effects (Arch Gynecol Obstet 2014 [epub ahead of print].doi:10.1007/s00404-014-3548-2).

This is not the first study to find that ginger can relieve painful periods. An earlier study of 150 women with modetate to severe dysmenorrhoea compared 250mg of ginger four times a day to either mefenamic acid or ibuprofen. The treatments were given for three days, begining on the first day of their period. The ginger worked as well as either of the drugs, and the women were equally satisfied with all the treatements. The authors of this study concluded that ginger was as effective as the drugs (J Altern Complement Med 2009;15:129-32).

For lots more information on treating dysmenorrhoea naturally, see Smart Woman’s Guide to PMS & Pain-free Periods or The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.