Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful periods, and it’s a common problem worldwide. Estimates place dysmenorrhea prevalence between 50 and 90 percent, so more than half of women experience the condition at some point. For most women, the pain only lasts for a couple of days, but dysmenorrhea is more intense and longer lasting in some.

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There are treatment options for the condition, including Chinese medicine modalities like herbal therapy. One Chinese herb – Yan Hu Suo – is considered an ideal choice for dysmenorrhea.

What is Dysmenorrhea and What Causes the Condition?

Dysmenorrhea is characterized by pain during menstruation, but there may be some secondary symptoms that accompany the pain. They include:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Dizziness

For women with severe bouts of dysmenorrhea, symptoms may persist for several days and interfere with work or other daily activities.

Dysmenorrhea is caused by uterine contractions, though it may be exacerbated by endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other reproductive conditions.

Chinese medicine practitioners from Houston believe that uterine dysfunction may be the result of problems with the liver, specifically with qi and blood flow through the organ. Practitioners seek to correct both, usually with the help of beneficial botanicals.

How Yan Hu Suo Can Help with Dysmenorrhea

Yan Hu Suo is one such botanical and is frequently used to treat dysmenorrhea. Known in English as corydalis, this plant’s properties are warm and bitter – properties that people can sense if they bite into the plant. Typically, Yan Hu Suo is allowed to dry and then boiled for its medicinal properties.

Houston Practitioners use Yan Hu Suo to improve qi and blood flow through the liver, which can by extension assist with better gynecological function. The herb’s noted effects on liver channel function – of which reproductive organs are a part of – have been documented by practitioners over thousands of years of use, making Yan Hu Suo a valuable tool in Chinese medicine.