By HERBAL AYUR
SYMPTOMS
Painful periods affect many women. Pain usually starts some time before the start of your period, and subsides as menstrual bleeding diminishes. Symptoms can include
Cramping
Sharp or dull pains
Nausea
Weight gain
Depression
Bloating
Constipation
Back pain
CAUSES
Causes can include
Excess oestrogen
Stress and anxiety
Fluid retention
Hypoglycaemia (fall in blood glucose)
Ovarian cysts
AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS
Ayurveda attributes painful menstruation (Rajah-Kriccha) to the predominance of Doshas, namely, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. By prescribing dietary, lifestyle and herbal preparations Ayurveda can help.
DIETARY ADVICE
Avoid fried foods and salt
Eat raw garlic cloves
Add powdered Asafoetida to food
Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin B6, such as dairy, bananas and legumes
vegetables - broccoli, green or red cabbage soy products and tofu have calcium
The following vegetables and fruits have vitamin B6: bananas; baked potatoes; soybeans, lentils; grains and cereals with bran.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Take regular exercise, including morning walks
Do physical exercises that concentrate on the pelvic and waist areas
Rest as much as possible during menstruation
Do breathing exercises
Yoga asanas (Sun Salutation and Plough)
TREATMENTS
Abdomen muscle massages
Purgation therapies (Virechan) can be beneficial
HELPFUL HERBS
Asafoetida (Ferula fetida); Ginger (Zingiber officinale); Hermal (Peganum harmala); Indian Aloe (Aloe vera)
HOME REMEDIES
• Fry asafoetida in ghee and add a teaspoonful of it to buttermilk, and take once a day.
• Mix some sesame seeds in a glassful of water and drink twice a day to reduce spasmodic pain.