Painful Periods Aren’t Normal: Homeopathy and Menstrual Health

Many women are missing work or school as a result of painful or heavy periods.

Painful Periods Aren't Talked About Enough

I recently came across the “Just a Period” survey by Wellbeing of Women and it made me realise more women are struggling with heavy, painful periods than I suspected. We often have no idea how common this problem is because we’ve all become so good at hiding it.

As a homeopath some women come to me specifically about their periods - usually because they are so badly out of balance they cannot function normally and are missing school or work as a result.  I always ask every woman how she experiences or used to experience her cycle, because it's one of the body's regulating rhythms, and when it's out of balance it tends to affect other systems too.

How Period Pain Disrupts Daily Life

In the Just a Period report 51% of women surveyed said their period has a negative impact on their life and 96% said they had experienced pain.  Of these 62% said that it was severe and 24% said it was very severe. I haven’t ever collated the information women have shared with me but would say these numbers reflect what I’ve seen in practice.  I had assumed they weren’t as bad for the wider population but I am shocked for how many this is a monthly hell.  When a woman shrugs and tells me “this is normal” I sigh. 

I hear stories of:

• Sitting on towels in the car

• Curled up in bed with hot water bottles

• Passing out from pain

• Too nauseous to eat

• Work, exercising, travelling and holidays either compromised or cancelled

The Monthly Emotional Rollercoaster of Hormonal Imbalance.

For many women they first know their period is coming a week or more beforehand - as the oestrogen levels rise, so does their sensitivity.  They report reacting badly to things which at other times in the month wouldn’t bother them at all.  This heightened state of emotion can be anything from anger to tears but a woman in the grip of it will often say - this isn't me, I know it's my period coming.

Parents will often tell me they are treading on eggshells around their teen who could fly off the handle or meltdown emotionally at the least obvious trigger.

What is normal for a period?

Because we don’t discuss the details of our periods and because it happens every single month, it becomes our “normal”.  When I was training to be a homeopath, I was taught that a woman’s cycle should be 28 days, light to start with, a couple of heavier days and then light to finish and lasting 5 days in total.

Are you struggling to get through your day today?

It is likely one of the women you meet today will be having her period and there are probably women in your workplace today who are struggling to get through the day.  With over half of all women and girls including a heartbreaking 7 out of 10 of 16-24 year olds reporting that they have been shamed by someone close to them in relation to their period.  And half of all women having their symptoms dismissed, even by medical professionals, it’s no wonder we are keeping this to ourselves.

Does this sound like you?

If any of this sounds familiar, please know that support is available. Whether through me or another practitioner. Visit findahomeopath.org to find qualified, registered homeopaths or Homeopathy UK run free clinics.

If you would like to see the results of the Just a Period Survey click here:

https://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/what-we-do/campaigns/just-a-period/just-a-period-survey-results/