Painful Menstruation

Naturopathic Painful Menstruation Treatment

Painful periods are very common, affecting most menstruation women at some point in their cycling years. Cramping can be mild to severe, keeping many women out of school or work due to the pain. This pain, called dysmenorrhea, may become worse in perimenopause.

When your hormones begin to change in perimenopause, as you transition toward menopause, ovulation becomes inconsistent or irregular, leading to an imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone ratios. When you have more estrogen relative to progesterone, called estrogen dominance, menstrual symptoms and menstrual cramps can become much worse.

Despite fluctuating levels of estrogen in perimenopause, being estrogen dominant during this phase is the norm, lending itself to painful periods and heavier bleeding. There are other contributing factors in dysmenorrhea that may increase the severity of cramping during perimenopause.

Menstrual cramps might be common, but they don’t need to be accepted as normal. There are many options to address estrogen dominance and other contributing factors to painful periods. If you are struggling with painful menstruation and other perimenopausal symptoms, schedule an appointment with Dr. Hamilton to find solutions. Virtual and in-person visit options are available.