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Those Painful Monthly Cramps

Women's health issues image.

It’s that time of the month again and you’re in agony. What causes you to suffer from these dreadful cramps every month? Believe it or not, more than 90% of all women have menstrual cramps at some point in their lives and a little more than 50% experience menstrual cramps every month for one or two days either right before or at the onset of their period.

Although menstrual cramps occur more often during the teenage years, some women experience them well into their twenties and beyond. One in ten women experience pain so bad, they’re unable to go about their daily routine for several days each month.

What causes painful menstrual cramps and what can be done to alleviate the pain?

Cramps are caused by contractions of the uterus. Like all other muscles in the body, the uterus contracts on a regular basis and then relaxes. Right around the time of your period, these contractions become stronger and this is what produces the pain and discomfort.

The following natural remedies may help relieve the pain and discomfort of menstrual cramps:
  • Regular exercise, such as walking

  • Adding additional calcium and zinc to your diet

  • The use of certain herbal remedies that have anti-spasmodic properties, including Viburnum prunifolium, Scutellaria spp. and Cimicifuga racemosa

  • Soaking in a warm bath that has been prepared with aromatherapy oils (have you tried lavender?)

  • Warm compresses or a heating pad, which can be applied to the lower abdomen to ease the pain

  • Relaxing and putting your feet up to alleviate stress

  • Good, old fashioned chiropractic adjustments

We’re aware that many women who suffer from menstrual cramps also experience frequent back pain. Is there a connection? Both may be related to subluxation in the lower spine that affects the nerves that serve the female anatomy. It’s been our experience that many women report a decrease in the frequency and severity of their menstrual cramps when they receive regular chiropractic adjustments.

Have you given it a try?

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Dr. Ehn Asks some important questions of interest to Newport residents - Chiropractor Newport Dr. Ehn Asks...

What controls every cell, tissue and organ of your body?
DNA? Wrong. Immune system? Wrong? Hormones? Wrong. It's your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves of your body. When a chiropractor sees a Newport patient with say, stomach problems, we want to know why the brain is unable to properly control and regulate the stomach. Which prompts us to examine the nervous system—the focus of chiropractic care.
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our Newport chiropractic practice.