Most women who suffer painful cramps take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers - aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), or naproxen (Aleve). They usually help, but many cause side effects, notably gastrointestinal distress and possibly bleeding.
In Western traditional herbal medicine, cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) has a long history of use as a treatment for pelvic pain, particularly cramps. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is prescribed as a pain reliever, and ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an age-old treatment for menstrual cramping. Across the globe, traditional Chinese medicine considers menstrual cramps as a condition involving cold dampness that should be treated with warming, drying herbs, which would include cinnamon, fennel, and ginger.
The confluence of traditional Western and Chinese approaches prompted Chinese researchers to delve into the research on the three herbs as treatments for cramps. They identified nine rigorous studies and used a standard statistical technique, meta-analysis, to mathematically combine the papers' results.
All the women participants were young adults who reported significant cramping each cycle. The pooled data included 314 women in the control group and 333 who took one of the three herbs. All nine studies measured pain and compared herbal treatment to placebo. Two studies involved cinnamon, three fennel, and four ginger.
All three herbs relieved cramping intensity, with results highly statistically significant. The meta-analysis was published in the Journal of International Medical Research.
Researchers at Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin also reviewed half a dozen studies showing that ginger relieves menstrual cramping, confirming its efficacy. Overall, the studies involved more than 300 young adult women who had visited their doctors complaining of severe cramps. They took powdered ginger, 750 to 2,000 mg a day, starting two or three days before expected menstruation, and continuing through its completion. In every study, ginger reduced cramping. The herb produced no miracles, but in several of the trials, it worked as effectively as ibuprofen (Motrin) without the stomach distress and kidney problems the drug may cause. The ginger group reported only two side effects - heartburn in up to 5% of users and headaches at 2%.
If you suffer monthly cramping, add ginger to whatever else you take. It should help.
