Every month we have to face it, our period comes and sometimes wreaks havoc on our bodies and emotions. It is estimated that 70-90% of women suffer from some form of PMS. A healthy lifestyle is the first step to managing PMS.
For many women with mild to moderate PMS symptoms, holistic and natural approaches are enough to control symptoms.
Of the more than 150 symptoms that have been linked to PMS, the most common are listed below.
Physical symptoms include:
Breast swelling and tenderness.
Bloating, water retention, weight gain.
Changes in bowel habits.
Acne.
Nipple discharge when nipples or breasts are pressed.
Food cravings, especially for sweet or salty foods.
Sleep pattern changes.
Fatigue, lack of energy.
Decreased sexual desire.
Pain. Common complaints include headaches or migraines, breast tenderness, aching muscles and joints, or cramps and low back pain prior to menstrual bleeding.
Behavioral symptoms include:
Aggression.
Withdrawal from family and friends.
Emotional and cognitive symptoms include:
Depression, sadness, hopelessness.
Anger, irritability.
Anxiety.
Mood swings.
Decreased alertness, inability to concentrate
(source: WebMD)
Sympathetic Breathing for Relaxation:
The sympathetic nervous system activates what is often termed the fight or flight response. Like other parts of the nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system operates through a series of interconnected neurons. Sympathetic breathing guided meditation can be used for profound relaxation and stress relief.
Massage Therapy:
Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine is well-known for successful clinical studies in the field of massage, tackling such conditions as fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and asthma. Twenty-four women with premenstrual syndrome were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or a relaxation therapy group.
RESULTS: The massage group showed decreases in anxiety, depressed mood and pain immediately after the massage sessions. In addition, by the last day of the study the massage therapy group reported a reduction in menstrual distress symptoms including pain and water retention. These data suggest that massage therapy is effective for treating premenstrual syndrome.
Hernandez-Reif, M., Martinez, A., Field, T., Quintero, O., & Hart, S. (2000). Premenstrual syndrome symptoms are relieved by massage therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 21, 9-15.
Acupuncture Therapy for PMS:
Research results posted in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics journal in 2002 showed that the effectiveness of acupuncture procedures for treating PMS syndrome was 77.8%. Its action mechanism is stimulating various acupuncture points responsible for normalizing the endocrine system operation and producing hormones for required balance. In such a way the amount of progesterone and estrogen is increased, that neutralizes the effect of high estrogen concentration during the luteal phase – the main cause of PMS symptoms.
Habek D, Habek JC, Barbir A, et al Using acupuncture to treat premenstrual syndrome. Archives of Obstetrics and Gynecology November 2002, 267(1):23-6.
Natural Remedies
1. Heat It Up: Expose your abdomen to some heat. Whether it’s a warm shower, extra blankets, or an electric heat pad, your abdominal pains/cramps will feel much better after being exposed to warmth. The heat helps increase blood flow providing additional oxygen and nutrients to help heal your shedding uterine lining. The heat also helps stimulate sensation in the skin, and therefore distracting the amount of pain being signaled and sent to your brain from your uterus. Also, our tendency is to tighten and tense up our muscles when we’re in pain; the heat will help relax those tightened muscles.
2. Watch Your Food Intake: Sugar and salt are big no nos, especially if you’re trying to reduce that overwhelming amount of bloating and swelling of the hands and feet. Forget that morning coffee; any caffeine can sometimes aggravate anxiety and depression that comes along with that time of month. Tea, specifically chamomile and peppermint, on the other hand, although it contains caffeine, can make for a good alternative.
3. Minerals, Minerals and more Minerals: Ok, we said no pill popping, but we meant no non-natural pill popping. There are some minerals in the form of pills/supplements that we highly recommend to help reduce those PMS Pains. Magnesium, Vitamin B6, and Calcium are our top three picks; here’s why:
a) Magnesium: Magnesium supplementation is best known for helping with balancing mood and fluid retention. It has been found that 360 mg three times a day, starting from day 15 to the start of the menstrual period significantly improves PMS mood changes.
b) Vitamin B6: If the magnesium can’t cure your mood, maybe the recommended daily dose of 100mg of Vitamin B6 will help with your premenstrual blues. The body needs B6 to make serotonin out of the amino acid tryptophan, and many people may be low in B6 because of high levels of stress that deplete your body of B6.
c) Calcium: Studies correlate the levels of calcium found in women with stronger symptoms of PMS are lower than those women who do no experience PMS. It is suggested that 300 mg of calcium carbonate four times a day can help reduce bloating, depression, pain, mood swings and food cravings. Most people automatically think milk is the best source of calcium, but you might be surprised to find out that green leafy vegetables, sardines and seeds are also a good source of calcium, so if you’re not a cookies-and-milk kind of girl, break out your recipe for sautéed spinach.
4. Herbal Remedies: Although there’s contradicting evidence about the benefits of using herbal remedies to help ease your PMS symptoms, it’s still worth a shot. Here some age old herbal treatments:
a) Chasteberry – this fruit coming from a small shrub-like tree has been used by women for thousands of years. It has been linked to balancing hormone levels created by the pituitary gland.
b) Evening Primrose Oil – Some research has shown that a dietary deficiency in fatty acids may contribute to PMS. Evening primrose oil is rich in essential fatty acids; taking a 500 mg supplement per day can help improve mood swings, irritability, cramps and inflammation and swelling in the body.