painful periods

Is Your Period Pain Normal?

Painful periods        painful periods

Many women experience some kind of pain with their periods, but period pain (or dysmenorhea) is definitely not normal in Chinese medicine. Statistics vary widely around the world but show that a significant number of women suffer from regular pain with their periods. It is so common that many women assume painful periods are normal because their friends have it too. Period pain is something that a lot of women just put up and manage with painkillers, heat packs or other medications every month.

Even when period pain is affecting their quality of life, many women do not seek help from a doctor or other health professional.

Pain is your body’s way of letting you know that there is a problem, it is a symptom of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. While medication may be helpful for temporary pain relief, it does not address the underlying issues causing the period pain.

Types of period pain

Period pain, or dysmenorrhea, can be caused by many factors. Clinically it is classified as either primary or secondary depending on whether or not there are structural abnormalities in the pelvis. Primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain with no identified organic cause. It can vary from mild to severe and affects as many as 50% of girls and women, often beginning soon after a girl starts having periods. In many cases periods become less painful as time goes on, and this kind of dysmenorrhea may improve after giving birth. Secondary dysmenorrhea has a known cause such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids. It tends to begin later in life than primary dysmenorrhea and often becomes worse over time.

Chinese medicine and period pain

Chinese medicine has a long history of treating gynaecological conditions including period pain. There are many Chinese medicine texts, some written as far back as 1000BC, containing detailed analysis and understanding of the menstrual cycle with recommendations for self-care and specific Chinese herbal medicine formulas to address symptoms such as pain.

What does a normal healthy period look like?

According to Chinese medicine a normal healthy period is regular (ideally around 28 days each cycle). There should be minimal or no discomfort, and definitely no pain. The flow of blood should be smooth (not interrupted), bright red in colour, and free of clots. It should be not too heavy or too light. The blood should not be too thick or too watery, and the entire period should last between 4-6 days.

In Chinese medicine, period pain is seen as abnormal and a symptom of an underlying imbalance in the body which is blocking the smooth flow of menstrual blood. This blockage can be caused by many factors and an experienced practitioner will know whether your period pain is due to Qi (energy), blood, cold or dampness blocking the flow in your body, or whether the flow is obstructed because your Qi, Blood, Liver or Kidney energy is depleted. Often there is a combination of underlying patterns that need to be untangled and addressed. Each of these dynamics require a different approach. An experienced Chinese medicine practitioner will be able to assess what is out of balance and use acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine to assist in supporting your body towards a pain free and healthy menstrual cycle.

If you would like support for your painful periods with Traditional Chinese Medicine please book an appointment with Tanya Newton at Flow Chinese Medicine.

Working from home

Working from home doesn’t have to feel like working from home

Working from home

Ergonomics

Are you feeling those niggles in the neck or back more since working from home? Let’s examine how our working environment at home may be contributing to this. Many of us have had to set up an ad hoc home office using the kitchen or dining table and chairs designed for eating a meal rather than extended periods of working and having to focus on a screen. Technology means we often find ourselves looking down to our devices, leading to neck and back strain. If you are using a laptop for work try elevating your laptop on a couple of thick cooking books and seperate your keyboard by a bluetooth keyboard. The top of the screen should be just above eye height. Consider amalgamating your phone apps such as What’s App onto your computer desktop to limit phone use.

 

To Sit or Stand

In the near future I will explore this topic comprehensively in another blog. The basic idea is to incorporate regular movement. Regardless of ideal ergonomic working conditions, long periods of sitting or standing can be detrimental to your health and wellbeing. What is apparent is the concept of interrupting sedentary positions by regularly changing positions. Have a look at solutions such as the sit stand platforms by Varidesk which turns your existing desk or kitchen bench top into a variable position desk with a click of a button 

 

Try what works for your specific situation. Aim to sit or stand many times throughout your day, for example, take phone calls standing. There is a saying that “your best posture is your next posture’. So a seat with a back or without isn’t that important as much as regularly changing positions. However, if your situation requires you to sit more than you stand, then a chair that supports your back is recommended.

 

Breaks

Schedule regular minibreaks and a lunch break. Allow for some time in your working day to be exposed to the outside sun. This will help improve your sleep and potentially offset some of the blue light exposure at night. Offer your eyes a broader canvas than just what is an arm’s length away.

 

Exercise

Working from home offers opportunities for brief moments of exercise. For example while on hold on a call, do 20 squats. Between completion of tasks, bookend it with 20 downward dogs to cobra on the floor. The evidence is very clear when it comes to the detrimental effects of lack of regular exercise on our body and mind.


Blue light                                                                                                                              

There is emerging but conflicting evidence on the effects of the artificial light from screens negatively affecting our sleep due to inhibiting melatonin, the hormone that regulates our circadian rhythms. The take home message here is to have daily exposure to outside daylight and limit screen exposure for at least 1 hour before your head hits the pillow.