Premenstrual syndrome– the group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle-is so common that many women believe it to be a”fact of life”. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that 85 percent of women in their twenties suffer from at least one symptom.
Did you know?
A small fraction of those women-roughly 3 to 8 percent –suffer from a more severe form of PMS, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and in two to 10 percent of cases, the symptoms are severe enough to affect women’s lives-including their tasks. It may be difficult to believe, but not too long ago, PMS was considered an imagined disease, and the girls suffering from it had been told that their symptoms were”all in their mind”.
Today, however, we are aware it isn’t merely a true disorder, but a somewhat intricate and even mysterious one. There are more than 200 symptoms related to PMS, such as anxiety and anxiety, difficulty in falling asleep, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, increased emotional sensitivity, and changes in libido. The three most prominent symptoms are irritability, anxiety, and unhappiness. Many girls are amazed to learn that the constipation, bloating, stomach cramps, breast swelling or tenderness, and muscle or joint pain that they experience each month aren’t considered PMS.
Take note
According to the formal definition, the psychological symptoms above aren’t just a necessity for a diagnosis of PMS; they need to be the woman’s key complaint. These girls would likely not be surprised to hear that the specific symptoms, in addition to their intensity, vary significantly from woman to woman, and frequently from cycle to cycle also. Each girl with PMS has her personal pattern. While one woman may be anxious and tense for a week monthly, another may be depressed and tearful for 2 days; another girl might find that she’s easily irritated by problems she’d normally consider minor.
However, every woman’s pattern, though different from others with PMS experience, will be somewhat predictable. To put it differently, she won’t experience anxiety in 1 cycle, depression another, followed by anger, etc. Medical science hasn’t determined the specific causes of PMS; nevertheless there quite a few theories which range from chemical and hormonal, to nutritional and emotional. We do understand that women whose mother or sisters have PMS are more likely to get it, so there could be a hereditary component. An examination of this research leads one to think that it is a most likely combination of genetic, physiological, and ecological aspects. Many researchers have speculated that culture may play a role in PMS.
What’s the solution to PMS?
Many therapies have been suggested for PMS, with varying levels of efficacy (which makes sense, considering we’re uncertain of the origin ). Most of the girls I know have a relatively mild form of PMS and take either Advil or aspirin to relieve their symptoms. For individuals with more severe PMS and PMDD, traditional medical professionals usually prefer hormonal intervention and anti-depressants. Holistic practitioners, on the other hand, frequently suggest lifestyle and dietary changes; for instance, Chasteberry, that has been used for centuries to alleviate symptoms associated with menstrual issues. It’s believed some of the chemicals found in Chasteberry work on the pituitary gland to balance hormone levels.
Research
More recently, researchers at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences discovered that omega-3 fatty acids might help alleviate the psychological symptoms of PMS. What Can I Do About It? Within the last twenty years, I’ve had many female patients who complained of PMS. As a chiropractor, I’d make sure their nervous system was optimally. I would also suggest calcium and magnesium to help relax their muscles and encourage the nervous system. As I learned more about holistic processes, however, I began analyzing the female hormone levels.
Oftentimes I would get an interference with progesterone, which I then restored to hormonal balance. If stress appeared to be a factor, I’d search for cortisol; if disposition was a problem, I’d check the serotonin, etc. Last year, a patient brought her five-year-old in for food allergies, and while she was there, told me about her severe PMS. As she talked, I noticed she was waving her hands and moving around quite radically. Sure enough, she had several hormones that had to be balanced. When I did equilibrium them, the results were amazing. The patient’s PMS disappeared! I told her to return into the office just before her period so I could see if the hormonal equilibrium treatments were holding. To my delight-and hers– PMS was no longer a problem in her life. An African-American woman in her mid-thirties came to see me for migraines and severe PMS. Through my testing processes, I learned that Allopregnanolone seemed to be the very important hormone for relieving her symptoms. Just like the last woman, her PMS disappeared when I balanced her hormones. I still see her to get an occasional headache or anxiety, but she no longer suffers from PMS.
Conclusion
Since that time, I’ve treated four patients with quite severe PMS. Balancing their allopregnanolone, I had been able to supply them fast relief for their symptoms. While it’s imperative– for many health reasons– to make sure all the principal hormones are working without energetic disturbance, it has been demonstrated to be an especially effective method in eliminating PMS.