Dysmenorrhea is a condition marked by severe menstrual cramps. This is caused due to contractions in the pelvic area during the menstrual cycle. While most women go through some degree of cramping, when the cramps become too serious and severe, it should be reported to a doctor to find out if there are any other related problems like Endometriosis, Fibroids, Adenomyosis or some infections.

Here are the ways in which this condition may be treated effectively:

Medication: One of the main ways of dealing with this condition includes taking pain relievers that must be prescribed by your doctor. Also, one can take over the counter drugs to relieve the pain. These include ibuprofen as well as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Acetaminophen can also help in most cases. Some women may need antibiotics to take care of pelvic infections that cause pain in the pelvic region.

Hormonal Birth Control: if your symptoms are too severe and debilitating, then the doctor can also put you on hormonal birth control treatment to bring down the pain and severity of the cramps. These are usually prescribed in the form of oral tablets which need to be consumed daily as advised by the Gynaecologist . Sometimes, some women may be unsuitable / unwilling for oral medications and in such cases, other routes for hormonal administration may be followed. This can be administered in the form of an injection. Also, you may wear the dose as a patch on the skin. A surgical procedure can also implant the same under your skin. This also comes as a flexible ring that the doctor can insert into your vagina with the help of an intrauterine device (IUD).

Surgery: In very extreme cases, the doctor may recommend surgery. This is usually conducted in case there is an underlying condition like endometriosis or fibroids, which can create severe complications for the patient as well. The doctor may also carry out surgical removal of the patient's uterus in case there are many complications.

Home remedies: One can exercise on a regular basis in a moderate manner so as to ensure that the cramps are not too severe. Also, you can use heat therapy in order to bring down the pain. This can be done by taking a hot bath and soaking in a tub of hot water. Also, you can use a heat compress so as to relieve the pain. Other dietary supplements can also be taken in order to reduce the cramps. For this purpose, one should regularly indulge in fish and flax seeds as well as other ingredients that are rich in omega three fatty acids. Also, vitamin B1 is an important ingredient that can be found in leafy green vegetables. Magnesium supplements can also be taken by the patient for such cramps.

Stress: one will need to take care of the stress levels by staying away from stressful situations and also cutting back on the consumption of alcohol. One should also avoid smoking completely. Meditation & Yoga have been known to help in relieving stress and you can practise a little bit of these on a daily basis. Also, devoting time to your hobbies and listening to good music can be a stress-buster when incorporated in your daily routine.

So eat right, exercise right, think right and have a positive attitude- That helps take care of most non-pathological cases of dysmenorrhoea.

Ways to Treat Dysmenorrhea Effectively

The Hijama or Cupping Therapy is an ancient form of Alternative medicine that has long been practiced in Egypt, China, and few Middle Eastern countries. The cupping therapy work wonders to deal with problems ranging from body pain, skin lesions to inflammation. It also plays a significant role in improving the circulation and blood flow. But what is the Cupping Therapy and how does it work? In this article, we will discuss some important points related to the cupping therapy along with its merits.

What is a cupping therapy?
A Cupping Therapy is a non-invasive procedure that involves the use specially designed cups (made of silicone, bamboo, glass, or earthenware) placed on the target skin area to create a vacuum or a suction to help treat a particular health condition.

What happens in a cupping therapy?
The cupping therapy can be Dry or Wet

In both the types, before using the cup, the cupping therapist uses a flammable substance such as herbs or alcohol (placed inside the cup) and sets it on fire. With the fire slowly going off, the therapist carefully puts the hot cup in the target area of the skin in an inverted (upside down) position (for around 3 minutes). This is done to create a suction inside the cup triggering an expansion of the blood vessels. Alternatively, a rubber pump can also be used to create a suction.
In Wet cupping therapy, the steps involved in creating the first suction (generally a mild one) is identical to those used in Dry Cupping. However, in wet cupping, following the first suction, small incisions or scratches are made in the target skin area. During the second section, it is through these cuts that the elimination of the toxic or impure blood takes place.
Soon after the therapy, the cuts are well bandaged along with the application of medicated creams or lotions to ensure a fast healing sans any complications.
For better lubrication and movement of the cups, the therapist may apply a herbal or medicated oil to the skin.
Some people may also opt for Needle Cupping. As indicative of the name, needle cupping involves the use of Acupuncture needles (inserted into the skin over which the cups are then placed to carry out the suction and the subsequent therapy).
Merits of a cupping therapy

The cupping therapy is a nonsurgical therapy that can be used to treat many health complications such as high blood pressure, varicose veins, gynecological problems (including infertility), anemia, dermatological conditions (such as eczema and acne), fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, hemophilia, to name a few.
The cupping therapy ensures a better pain management.
It works wonders in the case of stress and anxiety.
The cupping therapy goes a long way to restore the balance between the three Doshas.
It comes with negligible side effects (light bruises, mild burns, or minor skin infections).

Cupping Therapy - Know How It Works!

If you suffer from chronic pain of any kind, it is important for you to know that it is associated and linked with your emotions. Other than your physical activities and personal relationships getting hampered, unwanted feelings like resentment, stress and frustration are also common. These emotions and feelings are capable of making your chronic pain condition more worse. 

The Relationship between your mind and body: Your mind and body work together and cannot be separated. Your mind controls all your thoughts and also affects the way in which pain is controlled or perceived by the body. Pain and the fear of pain may lead you to avoid activities. This may reduce your physical strength and cause disruption in the functioning of your body.

Stress: Stress affects your body both physically and emotionally. It may lead to an increase in your blood pressure, breathing rate, heart rate and muscle tension may also occur. These may lead to fatigue, appetite changes and sleep disruption. Stress also causes depression, anxiety, make you dependent on drugs and make you dependent on other people.

Depression: Depression is common among chronic pain patients. Chronic pain can make cases of existing depression much more worse and the existing pain is also worsened. There are chances of developing depression from chronic pain if depression runs in your family or genes. 

Symptoms of Depression are as follows:

Feeling sad, angry, worthless and hopeless frequently
Lack of energy
Lack of interest in regular activities
Difficulty in sleeping
An increase or decrease in appetite, which may lead to major weight gain or weight loss
Difficulty with concentration
Having suicidal thoughts and thoughts about dying or harming oneself
How to Handle your Emotions during Chronic Pain: A common therapy, which people with chronic pain undertake is called Cognitive Behavioural therapy. You should seek the help of a therapist. In this therapy, you will learn about thinking in a positive way instead of drowning in negative thoughts. Your fear of pain will be reduced and you will learn how to strengthen important relationships. You will be able to develop a sense of freedom from chronic pain. 

If your chronic pain occurs due to an accident or emotional trauma, you may be assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by your healthcare provider. Many patients suffering from PTSD cannot deal with their pain until the emotional stress is dealt with. If you feel depressed and cannot control your emotions, you need to consult a doctor.

Chronic Pain - Is it Linked to Our Emotions?

The toes and heels are the most load bearing components within your feet which take most of the weight when walking, running, exercising or even standing up. The heels are an especially vulnerable part of the body which can become painful either due to injuries or excessive stress put on it. Pain in your heels can also be a sign of other problems in your body.

Causes for heel pain:

1. Sprains or straining the leg: Exercising is one of the most common culprits behind heel damage. Wearing the wrong shoes over prolonged periods, which can cause your balance to be shifted and will lead you to put strain on your heels and cause pain. Falling or spraining during exercising or training can also cause heel pain.

2. Fractures: Stress or hairline fractures can occur even without impacts or trauma and also cause pain. It will slowly build up over time. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor and take remedial action.

3. Achilles tendon: A common cause for heel pain, the Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel. If this is torn or damaged, it can cause pain in your heel.

4. Arthritis: The deposition of uric acid crystals in parts of your body may result in arthritis; this is a fairly common cause for heel pain as well.

Treatments available

1. Change in shoes: Shoes play a major role in the development of heel pain. You will either need to change the shoes or adjust the heels to ensure that they are at an equal and comfortable height and keep your posture natural and balanced.

2. Foot supports: There are specialized heel supports and wedges, which you can wear with the footwear. These supports help redistribute weight from the problem areas and uniformly distribute it among the other parts of the foot. Heel cups are also another form of supports you could try.

3. Pain relief medications: Sometimes aspirin or ibuprofen may be required to numb and dull the pain, if getting through the day becomes difficult or you are in the middle of work.

4. Resting: Sometimes resting is the only medication you can take to relieve the pain as it can only subside once the underlying conditions are corrected.

5. Ice packs: Cold compress and cold therapy would definitely help in numbing the area and providing temporary pain relief.

It is however, advisable to visit the doctor if the pain persists and take specialized medical care in more complicated cases wherein the pain is prolonged.

Heel Pain its Causes and Treatments

In preparation for the possibility of conception, a woman's body undergoes the menstrual cycle every month which culminates into the periods. This is a normal process which all women of reproductive age go through every month. However, in certain cases, the periods can be really painful where you may suffer from menstrual cramps or could be generally in much pain. This condition is known as Dysmenorrhea.

What exactly is Dysmenorrhea
As mentioned above, Dysmenorrhea is a disorder that many women got through while having their periods where they may suffer from painful cramps. The pain usually occurs in the pelvis area along with the lower abdomen and it may also be accompanied by other symptoms.

Some symptoms of Dysmenorrhea
Some of the symptoms of Dysmenorrhea could be any combination of the following factors
I. Very painful menstrual cramps accompanied by lower back pain
II. Diarrhea and nausea along with the cramps
III. Pain in the inner thighs, lower back and hips
IV. Being hypersensitive to light, loud sounds, specific smells and touch
V. Being fatigued all the time, even causing you to faint

Causes of Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is usually caused by the contraction of the Uterus. While the uterus does contract a little even in normal periods, during Dysmenorrhea the contractions tend to be a little too much. Due to this the uterus presses against the blood vessels and organs within the vicinity causing oxygen loss to them. This causes elevated levels of pain and discomfort.

Some of the underlying causes which may result in Dysmenorrhea are:
1. Narrowing of the cervix - Also known as stenosis, the lower part of the uterus which is the cervix may become narrow due to scarring and cause Dysmenorrhea.
2. Endometriosis - This is where the uterine lining is found outside the uterus, especially in the pelvic cavity and thus may cause painful cramps.
3. Inflammatory pelvic diseases - This is when a bacterial infection in the pelvic area can spread to multiple organs, including the uterus and thus may cause painful menstrual cramps.
4. Tumors - Tumors or fibroids which are unwanted growths on the inside of the uterus may also trigger Dysmenorrhea.

What to do if you are suffering from Dysmenorrhea
Below are some of the basic steps which you can take to ease pain from Dysmenorrhea
1. Avoid smoking and abstain from alcohol
2. Ample rest during periods
3. Keep the body dehydrated
4. Don't consume foods high in salt
5. Don't drink coffee or any caffeine rich foods
6. Lower back massages and hot water bag treatments to relieve pain
If severe pain still persists for long or if dysmenorrhea occurs repeatedly, then you should consult a doctor first rather than trying to resolve the problem yourself.


All about Dysmenorrhea

When somebody is diagnosed with a short term or a life-threatening disease, one of the main things they are likely to stress over is pain. Though, there are many effective medicines for pain, it is important to realize that medicines are not by any means the only treatment method for pain. For instance, radiation treatment can be very useful in treating pain from cancer and also in facilitating bone pain identified with the disease.

The term "alternative therapy" for the most part is used to describe any treatment or alternative that does not require medicinal attention. Alternate treatment includes a combination of controls, including acupuncture, guided imagery, chiropractic treatment, yoga, hypnosis, relaxation, biofeedback, massage, homegrown cures, aromatherapy and numerous others.

There are various non-medicinal methods for adapting to pain. They can be used all alone or as a part of a mix with medication treatments. Some of the alternatives patients have discovered include:

Massage: Many individuals discover relief from delicate back rub, and some clinics and massage parlors have trained massage specialists. A few studies have found that a back rub is extremely successful in soothing pain.
Relaxation: Guided imagery, spellbinding, breathing procedures and relaxation arts like tai chi are effective and viable, especially when a patient is experiencing debilitating pain.
Acupuncture: A few studies have found that acupuncture can be useful in calming pain for individuals with genuine ailments, for example - cancer.
Physiotherapy: In case a person has been very active before and is currently bed-ridden, even simply moving the hands and feet a little bit with proper physiotherapy movements can offer help.
Pet treatment: If you have episodes of pain that last 5, 10, or 15 minutes, attempting to discover something pleasant - like petting an animal's delicate fur can divert and help in relaxation.
Gel packs: These are basic packs that can be warmed or cooled and used to ease pain.
Chiropractic treatment: It is the most widely recognized non-surgical treatment for back pain. It is usually done by a chiropractor who will tune your nerves and other parts for pain relief. Qualified chiropractors are a rarity and hence one must be careful while dealing with them.
Diet: A few people trust that dietary fat intake and consumption of plants that contain calming operators can ease pain by restricting irritation.
Herbal treatment: The effectiveness of herbs is questionable. Do consult a doctor or a specialist since they could have a side effect of their own. Some of them can interact with the medicines you might be taking. This may cause harm to your health.
Alternative therapies to pain relief are not always harmless. As mentioned above, herbal remedies could have few side effects too. Likewise, one should always take a second opinion or consult someone before taking a decision on the kind of alternative therapy they opt for. It is better if you consult an interventional pain physician first and then follow his advice on how to follow these methods for maximal pain relief.

Using Non-medicinal Ways to Treat Pain

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