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When Menstrual Pain is Too Severe, Don't Suffer Anymore.

Every month when that day comes, the pain of severe menstrual pain can make daily life impossible. Especially if you've experienced being unable to even sit at work due to menstrual pain, you'll deeply sympathize with the thought that it's hard to get through the day without painkillers. This pain, recurring every month along with cramping in the lower abdomen and back, nausea, and lethargy, goes beyond simple discomfort and becomes a major culprit in significantly lowering the quality of life. Is it really a wise solution to just endure it or rely only on painkillers, thinking 'it's just what women go through'? Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic focuses on finding the fundamental cause hidden behind that pain and helping the body regain its healthy biological rhythm.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of severe menstrual pain: ① Blood Stasis and Qi Stagnation (Blood circulation disorder) / ② Coldness of the uterus / ③ Stress and autonomic imbalance Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic resolves the fundamental cause of symptoms through a constitutional improvement treatment approach and builds the body's own power to recover.

Menstrual pain is largely divided into primary (Primary Dysmenorrhea) and secondary (Secondary Dysmenorrhea). Primary menstrual pain is pain that occurs without any special lesions in the uterus or pelvis, and secondary menstrual pain is induced by specific diseases such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. For primary menstrual pain, which many women experience, if the intensity of the pain is severe enough to interfere with daily life, it should be taken as an important signal from the body.

In Korean medicine, menstrual pain is explained by 'Butong-jeuk-tong (不通則痛)' and 'Buryeong-jeuk-tong (不榮則痛)'. That is, the principle is 'if it doesn't flow, it hurts' and 'if it doesn't receive nutrition, it hurts'.

• Blood circulation disorder due to Blood Stasis (瘀血) and Qi Stagnation (氣滯): Blood circulation around the uterus is not smooth, so waste products accumulate, and due to this, the secretion of pain-inducing substances (prostaglandins, etc.) becomes excessive, causing the uterine muscles to cramp and induce extreme pain. This is likely to appear as a pricking or clumping pain in the lower abdomen.
• Coldness of the uterus: This often appears in women with a cold lower abdomen or cold hands and feet, and it further hinders blood circulation in the uterus and pelvic cavity, becoming a factor that deepens the pain. This sometimes accompanies pain that feels cold to the bone or back pain.
• Stress and autonomic imbalance: Excessive stress breaks the balance of the autonomic nervous system, causing sympathetic hyperactivity, which contracts blood vessels, reduces blood flow to the uterus, and makes the sense of pain sensitive. Due to this, one may become more sensitive than usual during the menstrual period, and symptoms such as headache, indigestion, and chronic fatigue may be accompanied.

These causes act complexly to increase the intensity of menstrual pain, making it easy to lead to chronic pain that is difficult to solve with painkillers alone.

Korean medicine provides effective treatments for resolving the fundamental causes of menstrual pain. Especially, herbal medicine treatment aims for improving the uterine environment and recovering overall health beyond simple pain relief.

In a systematic literature review and meta-analysis published in the international academic journal 『Medicine (Baltimore)』 in 2020, the effectiveness of Dangguijagyag-san (DJS) herbal medicine treatment for primary menstrual pain patients was analyzed. As a result of analyzing a total of 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), DJS showed a 16% higher total effective rate compared to Western drug treatment (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.24) and had a significant effect on pain reduction (MD = -0.86, 95% CI -1.56--0.16). Especially, the pain reduction effect was superior compared to placebo (MD = -1.1, 95% CI -2.04--0.16), and it was confirmed to be effective in reducing the amount of painkiller intake during the menstrual period (MD = -2.3, 95% CI -3.58--1.02). The researchers concluded that Dangguijagyag-san could be effective in treating primary menstrual pain. These data suggest that herbal medicine treatment can contribute not only to pain management but also to overall improvement of menstrual pain.

Also, according to a meta-analysis result reported in 2021, analyzing a total of 11 randomized controlled studies including 1005 women with primary menstrual pain, it was found that herbal medicine treatment using Danggui Sini Decoction was 42% more effective in treatment rate compared to general treatment (n=1005, RR =1.42, 95% CI =1.30-1.55, p<.01). This study showed that herbal medicine treatment can be effectively applied to reducing the recurrence rate of repeated menstrual pain and relieving pain.

Based on these research results, Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Incheon Branch is improving the fundamental causes of menstrual pain by combining herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion treatments tailored to each patient's constitution and symptoms.

Dalimchae Oriental Clinic does not simply pursue pain relief effects, but aims to create a body where symptoms are not just turned off but don't turn back on. Menstrual pain is not a one-time pain but a signal that internal imbalances of the body are revealed through the monthly recurring menstrual cycle.

We closely diagnose each patient's unique constitution and current body condition and apply constitutional improvement treatment that solves the fundamental causes inducing menstrual pain. This is a process of not only strengthening simple uterine function but also helping the body regain a healthy menstrual rhythm by aiding overall circulation and increasing immunity. For example, for menstrual pain due to blood stasis and coldness, we prescribe medicinal herbs that improve blood circulation and warm the uterus and lower abdomen to relieve pain, and for menstrual pain due to Qi stagnation and autonomic imbalance, we harmonize overall신체 functions through prescriptions that resolve stress and stabilize the nervous system.

This constitutional improvement treatment of Incheon Menstrual Pain Oriental Clinic contributes to breaking the vicious cycle of monthly recurring pain and regaining a healthy and comfortable daily life. Especially, for those who suffer even after receiving a 'normal' diagnosis in Western medical examinations, in-depth diagnosis and customized treatment from a Korean medical perspective can be a new solution.

Check how many of the following items apply to you.

• Pain in the lower abdomen like it's being squeezed is so severe during the menstrual period that it interferes with daily life.
• It is difficult to endure without taking painkillers, and the pain does not completely disappear even after taking them.
• Back pain, pelvic pain, leg numbness, etc., appear together during the menstrual period.
• Digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and indigestion are accompanied.
• Feel extreme fatigue, lethargy, and dizziness.
• Become especially sensitive and irritable during the menstrual period, with severe mood swings.
• The lower abdomen is always cold or hands and feet are cold.
• Menstrual blood is often dark red or clumpy.

[Diagnosis Result]

• If 3 or more apply: This is the stage of suspected constitutional improvement-type menstrual pain. Consider Korean medicine complex treatment through consultation with an expert.
• If 5 or more apply: There is a high possibility of chronic problems due to severe menstrual pain. It is recommended to start customized treatment through immediate visit and precision diagnosis.

Q. Why is menstrual pain so severe? A. Menstrual pain can worsen due to complex causes such as excessive secretion of pain-inducing substances (prostaglandins) generated in the uterus, blood circulation disorders around the uterus (blood stasis), coldness of the uterus, and autonomic nervous system imbalance due to stress. Especially when these causes are combined with constitutionally weakened parts, the pain is further amplified.

Q. How long does it take for Korean medicine treatment to show effects? A. The treatment period may vary depending on the individual's cause of menstrual pain, the severity of symptoms, constitution, and the speed of response to treatment. Generally, through steady treatment for about 3 months, you can experience a significant decrease in pain intensity and frequency, and for fundamental constitutional improvement, a longer period may be required.

Q. How is relying on painkillers different from Korean medicine treatment? A. Painkillers are effective in temporarily suppressing pain, but they do not solve the fundamental cause of the pain. On the other hand, Korean medicine treatment aims to improve the uterine environment and recover overall health by correcting the imbalance inside the body that causes menstrual pain, so that as time passes, the pain naturally decreases and the recurrence rate is lowered.

Q. Can other problems be treated along with menstrual pain? A. Yes, it is possible. Menstrual pain often appears along with other symptoms such as indigestion, chronic fatigue, headache, dizziness, skin troubles, and psychological instability. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment focuses on recovering overall balance, so you can expect an effect where various accompanied symptoms are improved along with menstrual pain relief.

Menstrual pain is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms as they are. At Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Incheon Branch, we will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Oriental Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Oriental Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Women/Pregnancy Treatment Standards Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Min Ji-hong (Menstrual Pain Column)