Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Treatment
Bringing rhyme & rhythm back to your cycle with natural treatments for PMS
Four Important Things to Know About Your Painful Period
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Menstrual Irregularities
Women can present with PMS or menstrual irregularities in different ways. For example, your cycle may not regulated, it may can come too often, not often enough or menstrual flow volume may be too high or too low.
Additionally, many different problematic symptoms can occur before, during or after your periods. You may experience premenstrual bloating, breast tenderness, painful, irregular or heavy periods.
Fortunately, there are natural PMS treatment options available that can be safe and effective and without reliance on synthetic hormones.
Irregular Periods
Your periods typically occur about once a month. A normal variation of your menstrual cycle is if it is a few days early or late. However, you may also experience other abnormal variations from this pattern.
Menstrual cycles may be much longer or shorter from one period to the next. As well, your period may occur sporadically and unpredictably. Your cycle can deviate from your typical pattern by coming later or earlier than expected; or, you may even skip your period altogether. Stress is a common origin of these irregular menstrual patterns.
Stresses can include emotional stresses, such as at your work or in your personal life. Additionally, they can be physical stresses such as an imbalanced diet, poor lifestyle habits, sleep insufficiency or chemical stressors.
Menstrual flow irregularities
When a woman does not menstruate for a prolonged period of time, this pattern is termed ‘amenorrhea.’ Amenorrhea can happen because of hormone imbalances, medication, chronic stress, being underweight, over-exercising or from malnutrition.
When your menstrual flow is very light on an ongoing basis, it is called oligomenorrhea.
Menorrhagia occurs when your menstrual flow is unusually heavy or prolonged such that blood loss is substantial enough for you to become anemic.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Before and during your period, you may experience a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. These symptoms can vary in number, frequency, intensity and duration.
You may experience the following symptoms with PMS:
- Headaches
- Acne
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Bowel pattern changes
- Swelling
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Breast tenderness
- Food cravings
- Period pain
Menstrual cramping commonly associated with periods is termed ‘dysmenorrhea.’ With dysmenorrhea, your period pain may be mild and manageable but may also be severe and debilitating. In this situation, you may require anti-inflammatory and/or pain medication to control your symptoms.
For long-term improvement, the natural treatment of PMS can be very effective. Essentially, the goal is to reduce or eliminate your cyclical symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Our naturopathic doctor, Dr.Makoto Trotter ND, is very experienced at treating PMS and menstrual irregularities. He has had a lot of success with normalizing his patients’ menstrual cycles and improving their period pain.
How are menstrual irregularities controlled conventionally?
Most commonly, your doctor will prescribe oral contraceptives to alter hormones in the body in order to regulate your menstrual cycle or its associated symptoms.
Oral contraceptives, may be effective for regulating your menstrual cycle timing and may address some symptoms associated with your period, such as period pain.
For some women, oral contraceptives may create new intolerable symptoms or provide inadequate relief. Other women prefer to choose natural treatments.
Also, your doctor may prescribe other medication to control specific symptoms related to your periods.
What does a naturopathic doctor do for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) treatment?
A naturopathic doctor assesses your overall health, diet and lifestyle, menstrual cycle pattern and any associated symptoms.
Initially, your naturopath will recommend dietary and lifestyle modifications which may lead to improvements in regulating your menstrual cycle or symptoms associated with your period.
At some point, you may discuss doing a saliva hormone test to better understand which hormones are sub-optimal, and to what degree. Saliva hormone testing provides an assessment of bio-available hormones – that is, the hormones levels in your tissues. This is different than blood hormone levels because they measure total circulating hormone levels.
Based on the understanding of which hormone levels need normalizing, your naturopathic doctor may recommend nutrients, herbs or acupuncture to help your body re-balance hormone levels naturally.
Alternatively, in some cases, you may be prescribed bio-identical hormone treatment to more directly target hormones that are very depleted. If bio-identical hormones are recommended, this will be done in an amount catered to your individual requirements. It is also recommended to re-test saliva hormone levels a few months after initiating bio-identical hormone therapy to ensure levels are at their appropriate optimal levels.
The more information we have about your hormones, the more effectively we can create a successful premenstrual syndrome PMS treatment plan. Consequently, if you are suffering from period pain or your menstrual cycle is overtaking your life, we can use safe and effective natural treatment options to restore your hormonal balance.
How would my visits work for the natural treatment of PMS?
- Comprehensive intake to discuss your menstrual cycle history, hormones, immune system, digestion and other body systems that may be impacting your hormones
- Review your diet to ensure it is appropriate to support your hormones
- Review previous diagnostic tests and reports relevant to your health
- Discuss test options that are relevant to balancing your hormones
- Recommend a diet and lifestyle plan that is designed to normalize your hormones, reduce inflammation, support immunity and optimize your menstrual cycle
- Recommend nutrients and supplements to restore your menstrual cycle
- Discuss herbal medicine options to improve your PMS symptoms and balance hormones
- Discuss the connection between emotions and your hormones and create strategies to improve your stress
- Potentially incorporate acupuncture to re-balance hormones and normalize your periods
Our Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Makoto Trotter ND, is well versed in treating hormone imbalances in women. He will take a detailed intake of your health history, chief concerns and symptoms to determine the best treatment plan to optimize your individual hormone levels. Natural treatment for PMS and menstrual cycle regulation is safe and can be very effective.
Book an appointment or contact Zentai Wellness Centre for further inquiries.