🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Dysmenorrhea is a clinical symptom rather than an independent disease. It can be caused by various factors. Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary and secondary types. Primary dysmenorrhea is most common among women, beginning after menarche, usually functional, and prevalent in unmarried or childless young women. Causes are numerous, including emotional stress, intense physical activity, exposure to cold, and endocrine imbalance, but the main cause is excessive production of prostaglandin F2a by the uterine endometrium. Secondary dysmenorrhea appears only after some menstrual cycles have passed, often due to organic causes such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or intrauterine device use. The following methods are highly beneficial in overcoming dysmenorrhea: 1. From menarche onward, learn about female hygiene; develop a correct understanding of menstruation to eliminate fear and anxiety. 2. During menstruation, keep warm, avoid cold, raw, and chilled foods; rest adequately, reduce fatigue, increase nutrition, strengthen constitution; avoid emotional stimuli, maintain good mood; prevent overexertion in sexual activity; abstain from sex during menstruation; avoid strenuous exercise; maintain external genital hygiene. 3. For severe symptoms, treat symptomatically; commonly used drugs include compound aspirin, indomethacin, atropine, etc. Use estrogen and progesterone cautiously, as they may suppress normal ovarian function. 4. Traditional Chinese medicine offers good results in treating dysmenorrhea; try the following proven formulas: Xuan Ling Zhi Tong Tang: Corydalis 10–30g, processed five-lingzhi 10–30g, white peony 10–30g, Angelica 10–20g, Ligusticum 10–20g, licorice 10–20g, as main formula. Add Chai Hu 6–15g, Cyperus 6–15g, Persica 6–15g for qi stagnation and blood stasis type; add mugwort 10–15g, Evodia 10–15g for cold congealing and blood stasis type; add moutan bark 10–20g, stir-fried gardenia 10–20g, Scutellaria 10–20g for blood heat with stasis type; add Astragalus 10–20g, Codonopsis 10–20g, Rehmannia 10–20g for qi and blood deficiency with stagnation type. Decoct and take orally once daily, divided into 3–4 doses. Begin taking 3–5 days before menstruation starts, continue until bleeding stops and pain ceases. One course lasts three menstrual cycles. Add Shaofu Zhu Yu Tang: Angelica 10g, Ligusticum 6g, red peony 10g, Corydalis 10g, Myrrha (stir-fried) 6g, Herba Polygoni 10g, five-lingzhi 10g, fennel 3g, dry ginger 3g, cinnamon 3g, Leonurus 30g, Eupatorium 10g. Main effect: activate blood, remove stasis, warm meridians, relieve pain. Suitable for cold-congealed blood stasis type dysmenorrhea. Decoct and take internally; avoid raw and cold food. Gan Ju Diao Jing Yin: Spikenard 10g, silkworm feces 10g, lychee kernel 12g, hawthorn 6g, fresh orange leaf 6g. Main effect: regulate qi, soothe liver, activate blood, regulate menstruation. Suitable for qi stagnation and blood stasis type dysmenorrhea. Decoct and take orally; begin 3 days before menstruation, one dose daily, continue for 5–7 days.<Dysmenorrhea>