Menstrual pain, also known as menstrual cramps or period pain, refers to the painful sensations experienced by most women before, during, and sometimes after the menstrual period. The condition is medically known as dysmenorrhea.
The duration and severity of menstrual cramps vary from one woman to another. Some women may experience the pain right before and during their menstrual periods. For others, the pain could set in several days before their menstruation and last for up to a week after their periods end.
Although dysmenorrhea is part and parcel of a woman’s reproductive cycle, the condition doesn’t have to be unbearable while it lasts. Fortunately, there are numerous effective remedies for menstrual cramps, including herbal extracts like kratom.
But just what is kratom, and how can it help mitigate menstrual pain? Those questions shall be the focus of this post.
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Causes and Symptoms of Menstrual Pain
Dysmenorrhea can trigger excruciating pain if allowed to run its course. That’s why experts recommend using pain-relieving remedies during menstruation.
Kratom has demonstrated tremendous potential for mitigating period pains in the recent past. Supplementing a suitable kratom strain like the tested White Sumatra may help to relieve menstrual cramps or make the pain associated with the condition more bearable.
But before we examine the role of kratom in menstrual pain, it would help to understand the causes and symptoms of this condition.
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What Causes Menstrual Cramps?
All women between puberty and menopause go through menstruation every 28 days. Menstruation is characterized by the irregular contraction and relaxation of the muscles lining a woman’s womb. This mechanism assists the womb in expelling unwanted blood and tissue, which comes out as menstrual blood. The contraction and relaxation of the uterine muscles during menstruation are triggered by hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins.
While most women will experience menstrual pain during their menstruation years, certain factors may increase the risks of dysmenorrhea. Examples include old age, having given birth multiple times, and contraceptives. The risks of menstrual cramps also increase with factors like stress, depression, smoking, obesity, genetic predisposition, specific diets, and certain medical conditions (such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, adenomyosis, and uterine fibroids).
Symptoms of Menstrual Cramps
Pain is the most common symptom of menstrual cramps. The pain may range from dull to severe. It could also vary depending on the area covered. While most women complain of pain in their lower abdomen, others also report discomfort in their lower back and thighs.
Other major symptoms of dysmenorrhea include;
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Diarrhea or loose stools
- Headaches
- Fainting and dizziness
- Sweating
- Mood swings
Treating Menstrual Cramps and the Role of Kratom
Dysmenorrhea is conventionally managed using a class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Examples of NSAIDs include ibuprofen. The condition can also be managed with home remedies like fennel, chamomile tea, regular exercises, etc.
Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, has recently emerged as one of the most effective natural remedies against menstrual pain. Here is some information please have a look
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How Does Kratom Combat Menstrual Cramps?
Kratom May Relieve Menstrual Pain
Pain is the most common side effect of dysmenorrhea. The pain can include lower abdomen pain, lower back discomfort, and even headaches. Luckily, pain also happens to be the primary medical concern that kratom is generally prescribed for.
Kratom contains powerful opioid-like properties. The herb’s pain-relieving effects are numerous active alkaloids, such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. When administered during the menstrual period, these compounds can mitigate dysmenorrhea pain by boosting the performance of opioid receptors in the brain.
According to an animal study, 7-hydroxymitragynine acts against pain by targeting the brain’s mu-opioid receptors.
Kratom affects the opioid receptors in the same way as conventional opioids, such as heroin and morphine. The difference is that kratom partially binds to these receptors instead of regular opioids that exert their full influence on the same receptors. Therefore, kratom presents reduced risks of addiction and dependency.
Kratom May Boost Your Energy Levels
The pain associated with dysmenorrhea could leave you feeling all worn out. This can only get worse for women who experience heavy bleeding during menstruation.
Kratom has proven effective against both physical and mental fatigue, which might also help with dysmenorrhea-fainting and dizziness.
It’s worth noting that kratom belongs in the same tree family as coffee. Therefore, its energy-boosting effects are similar to those of caffeine.
Multiple experiments investigating kratom’s energy-boosting properties have returned positive feedback. In one study, researchers proved that kratom could improve physical and energy via its ability to induce mild euphoria.
Kratom May Relieve Mood Swings
Kratom is stimulating in low doses and sedating at relatively high doses. That property makes the herb capable of treating the mood swings experienced during menstrual cramps.
According to a 2017 study, people who self-medicated with kratom reported marked improvements in the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Researchers concluded that the herb might be effective against other mental disorders, including stress and mood swings.
A 2018 review corroborated these findings by proving that kratom could, indeed, enhance mood and improve anxiety symptoms.
Kratom’s sedating effects may also come in handy for women who battle insomnia during menstruation.
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Wrap Up
Kratom may not be the magic pill for dysmenorrhea. However, the herb contains immense therapeutic properties that might help mitigate the severity of menstrual cramps.