Herbal Solutions for Endometriosis - Period Pain Relief
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this post. The herbal remedies and natural approaches discussed here may not be suitable for everyone, and individual results may vary. Use of any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk.
My Story with Medicinal Plants
Herbal remedies have been a big part of growing up in the north of Romania. My mother, a fountain of plant wisdom, always had a tea recommendation for every ailment. Mint, elderflower, and lime blossom tea were staples for colds and flus, onion skin tea for coughs, and cherry tails tea for pesky bladder infections. These remedies became second nature to me, shaping my path toward blending nutrition, lifestyle, yoga, and herbal treatments to support women with endometriosis.
It took me a while to start researching and using medicinal plants for managing endometriosis. I thought that medicinal plants were to be used for acute conditions, and not chronic ones. I had a lightbulb moment when I figured out that I can create herbal remedies for endometriosis pain relief!
At the beginning, I was really skeptical that teas and tinctures could help me manage my endometriosis symptoms which were mostly terrible period pain. The pain was too intense to consider plants as I was seeking immediate relief from it! Now I am 7 months after my laparoscopy, I am not taking any prescription medications, and my pain reaches 1-3 out of 10 in terms of intensity. I use a couple of tailored remedies for managing endometriosis pain naturally and my trustworthy hot water bottle for extra comfort when needed!.
I need to break it to you: natural remedies won’t work as fast as medication. On rare occasions when I need immediate relief, I might reach out to a traditional painkiller, but this is more an exception rather than the role. This approach applies not only to endometriosis pain but to any pain, such as headaches or joint discomfort.
I’ve included dosage guidelines so you can prepare your own medicinal remedy to manage endometriosis pain naturally. Always start with a lower dosage and gradually increase it.
Understanding Endometriosis Pain
Every endometriosis sufferer will have their own description of their pain, from stabbing, piercing, cutting, ripping, crushing. The pain tends to be more intense during menstruation, hence period pain is one of the most common endo symptoms. Some even compared it to labor pain! The pain episodes can happen at any time, anywhere, and it can bring you to your knees. And it doesn’t end here: after an endo pain episode, there's fatigue developing like you have been doing the most intense physical activity of your life! One of the things that helped me the most when I was dealing with very intense endometriosis pain was to understand what causes it. I knew that the excision of endometriosis lesions during my laparoscopy can significantly reduce my pain.
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. As our hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, as menstruation occurs, it makes a twisted sense why you might feel the most pain during it (but some report it during ovulation as well). Endometriosis lesions bleed during menstruation and it can cause mild to severe inflammation.
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition, and inflammation causes pain. Last time I did my blood tests, one of the inflammation markers that my doctor paid close attention to was the sky-high C-reactive protein (CRP) level which suggested I might have endometriosis (next to all the other symptoms I was suffering from).
Endometriosis can cause sensitization of the central nervous system, including other peripheral sensory nerves and cross-organs. In other words, endo warriors might feel pain differently because of endometriosis lesions, suffering from long term changes in how they process pain. Many times, people with endometriosis have comorbid conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), overactive bladder or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
It can be hard to always read about how terrible this condition is, but I strongly believe that with more knowledge lies more power in managing your symptoms and working better with your healthcare providers.
Now let’s get to the really fun part, which is discovering what herbs can help with managing endometriosis pain and other symptoms!
Top 10 Herbs for Managing Endometriosis & Period Pain
Ginger (Zingiber officinale - Zingiberaceae) - Considered one of the world’s best medicines, ginger has anti-inflammatory and warming properties, being associated with pain relief, travel sickness, indigestion, and morning sickness. Ginger also supports the absorption of nutrients, especially of iron which women need more of during menstruation. My favourite part about ginger and the reason why I put it as number 1 is because of the study that found no difference in pain relief between ginger and mefenamic acid (a painkiller often prescribed for period pain and endometriosis). The dosage from the study is 750mg to 2g, about 1-4 capsules/day (this is the ginger supplement I’m using). As someone who has been taking mefenamic acid and ginger, I notice no difference in their pain relieving properties.
Vitex Berry (Chaste Tree, Agnus Castus, Vitex agnus-castus, Verbenaceae) - This medicinal plant doesn’t have direct pain relieving properties, but it can diminish the possibility of having painful periods thanks to its effect of increasing progesterone levels. As we talked earlier, endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease and many times the conventional approach is to offer progesterone-only treatments. Thanks to its progesterogenic action, vitex berry can relieve pre-menstrual symptoms (including low mood and irritability), headaches, and breast tenderness. I love how adaptive is this herb in regulating irregular periods, making them shorter if they are too long or longer if they are too short. This is the vitex berry supplement I’ve been using. The recommended dosage is between 400mg - 1g per day.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa syn. C. domestica, Zingiberaceae) - another herb from the same family as ginger is, turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is recommended for conditions in which long-term inflammation is an underlying factor, such as endometriosis, but also diabetes and psoriasis. Turmeric is taken also for auto-immune diseases (endo can be considered an auto-immune disease!). The recommended dosage is between 500mg to 1g per day.
Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus, Rosaceae) - even though raspberry leaves are mainly used for encouraging easy labor, thanks to its tonic effect on the uterus muscles, it can also help relieve contractions and relax the muscle of the pelvis. Raspberry leaf can be enjoyed as a warm infusion (aprox. 1 tablespoon of dried leaves per 2 cups of water), or as a tincture (1.5ml x 3 per day).
Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita syn. Matricaria recutita, Asteraceae) - with its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antispasmodic and relaxant properties, chamomile is one of the most famous herbs for a reason. Similar to ginger, it has similar pain relieving properties to mefenamic acid, with the added mood improvement. It is said that women in ancient Rome were taking chamomile for menstrual cramps. Also, chamomile can ease digestive problems which a lot of women with endometriosis suffer from. One of the best ways to include chamomile in your routine is by making an infusion (4 teaspoons of dried herb in 500ml water).
Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus, Caprifoliaceae) - the main property lies in the name with this medicinal herb! It is also a sedative remedy, having a relaxing effect on the nervous system. This herb can also be used for IBS and constipation relief. You can take cramp bark as tincture (½ teaspoon diluted in hot water twice per day) or as a decoction (20g dried cramp bark simmered for 20-30min in 750ml water), taking 75ml every 3 hours for acute period pain.
Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa, Dioscoreaceae) - this plant contains diosgenin which helped in creating the first contraceptive pill by paving the way for the synthesis of progesterone. Wild yam has been historically taken to ease menstrual, ovarian and labor pain, but it can also help digestive problems such as gallbladder inflammation or IBS. The recommended dose is 600mg (96mg diosgenin).
Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) - this plant has been used as a sedative and relaxant for milenia! Besides this, it relieves muscle spasms and period pain. Its stress-reducing and sleep-inducing effects are the cherry on the top of the cake. As this medicinal plant is a sedative, I would recommend taking it in the evening or when you would like to rest. You can take valerian root as tincture (aprox. 20 drops in hot water 2-3 times a day) or a decoction (20g dried valerian root simmered for 20-30min in 750ml water), 25-100ml at night.
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, Lamiaceae) - this plant has been taken historically for menstrual problems. Today is mostly used for its calming and stress-relieving effects, but also for period pain. You can prepare an infusion, buy a skullcap tincture (3ml with water twice a day), or take skullcap capsules (200mg twice a day).
White peony (Paeonia lactiflora syn. P. albiflora, Paeoniaceae) - this is a plant from traditional chinese medicine and it is used to make a soup called “Four Things Soup” which is a women’s tonic. It helps menstrual disorders, and it is used specifically for period pain and cramps. Some women with endometriosis also have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and this herb can help in reversing the symptoms associated with it. You can take white peony for period pain relief by preparing a decoction (20g dried white peony root simmered for 20-30min in 750ml water), 75ml 3 times a day.
Source: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments, Andre Chevallier FNIMH, Penguin Random House, 2016
What medicinal plants are you going to use first?
When I first envisioned this article dedicated to managing endometriosis pain naturally, I didn’t expect that so many of these herbs would offer digestive support as well. Many women with endo suffer from digestive upset as well (endo belly anyone?) so it’s great to see that so many medicinal plants can support both conditions. I take many of these herbs religiously, not only when I have a bit of pain, but also to support my health day by day.
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