The menstrual cycle has always been a problem that many women experience with suffering and anxiety. However, scientific studies have shown that there are several solutions to deal with the situation forcefully. One of these is the beneficial power of cannabidiol. Specifically we will tell you:
- A new ally to fight pain
- Pain and menstrual cycle
- What cause menstrual cramps?
- Cannabis and women's health
- Effects of CBD on menstrual pain
- Cannabis swabs
A new ally to fight pain
Menstruation is no longer a taboo. If our grandmothers and mothers lived their period with immense reserve and embarrassment, in recent years the climate has changed. Today we talk about the menstrual cycle , we talk about the pain it entails and above all we talk about new remedies against the pain it brings with it.
There is a very delicate topic linked to the menstrual cycle: the impact it has on every woman's life.
Modern life does not allow women to experience the menstrual cycle as they feel they need to. It is often necessary to take medicines to continue the day in a productive manner, as one cannot miss work, give up sporting activities or postpone household chores. Therefore, if from a cultural point of view the situation has changed a lot, on the pain front there are still many steps forward to be made. In 2016, a bill was put forward for the granting of menstrual leave , in the event that pain does not allow you to go to the workplace. If it were to be approved, it would be a great achievement for the working woman.
Pain and menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle can be a source of significant pain , which risks completely limiting daily activities. In addition to the physiological pain perceived in "those days" and in those immediately preceding (Premenstrual Syndrome - PMS), there are women who suffer much more than they think. When menstrual pain becomes a chronic and disabling disorder, it is called dysmenorrhea , a real clinical condition that affects women with flagellant punctuality.
This is not a rare disorder; in fact, it is estimated that dysmenorrhea affects up to 80% of women of childbearing age at least for a period of their lives. The symptoms of these conditions are different from woman to woman. Women with dysmenorrhea are often forced to take full days of rest and must miss work or limit their physical activities for several days each month. Symptoms can start right after ovulation and last until the end of your cycle, and we're talking about almost two weeks.
There are many other disorders that cause severe pain during your period, such as PCOS and endometriosis . Even though these are extremely widespread disorders, there are still no 100% effective solutions, and medicine does not offer great solutions. Except for the use of painkillers and contraceptives.
The contraceptive pill is often recommended to effectively control pain in the presence of certain pathologies, but it is still a drug that has many side effects.
What cause menstrual cramps?
During menstruation, the body releases prostaglandins , which stimulate the contraction of the uterine muscles and the expulsion of the endometrium. The increase in prostaglandins can be associated with pain and inflammation and generate the dreaded period cramps. The origin of the pain is not perfectly clear: according to some doctors it is caused by uterine contractions which, by pressing against the blood vessels, reduce the flow of oxygen to the uterus. Some recent studies instead link menstrual pain to inflammation caused by prostaglandins.
Abdominal cramps are much more frequent in women under the age of 30 and are characterized by pain in the pelvic area. They may be accompanied by nausea, leg or back pain, headaches and intestinal problems.
Cannabis and women's health
The therapeutic virtues of cannabis have been known since ancient times. Over 2000 years ago, marijuana was used to treat the most diverse ailments in ancient Egypt, India and Persia.
An ancient Arabic text reveals that women used juice extracted from cannabis seeds to combat migraines and uterine pain. A Chinese medical text from 1596 reports the use of cannabis flowers for the treatment of menstrual disorders. It is known that Queen Victoria's personal doctor prescribed the use of cannabis to the English sovereign, indicating it as one of the most precious medicines available to man .
In recent years, women's attention has focused above all on CBD oil , which is gaining increasing popularity as a solution to problematic menstrual cycles. The non-psychoactive molecule of cannabis, cannabidiol, (a metabolite of cannabis) has relaxing, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anticonvulsant, anti-dystonic and antioxidant effects. It promotes sleep and is very effective against anxiety and mood swings.
Effects of CBD on menstrual pain
Pain related to the menstrual cycle is not a suitable condition for prescribing medical cannabis . They probably never will be, except in the most serious cases. However, CBD can be a very valid ally for relieving menstrual pain. Female reproductive organs are highly receptive to cannabinoids.
CBD has relaxing and soothing effects on the entire female reproductive system, and is able to reduce pain by alleviating the intensity of uterine contractions. Its anti-inflammatory action also helps the muscles involved to suffer less of the impact of this highly debilitating physiological process.
Since they are not medical products, CBD-based preparations do not require a prescription and can be safely experimented with by all women given the total lack of contraindications.
The currently most recommended product for menstrual pain and inflammatory forms in general is CBD oil. Usually sold in liquid form with dropper bottle and in solid version in gelled capsules. The ideal is to start taking the concentrate a few days before the onset of pain and continue throughout the painful phase of the cycle. Regarding the dosage, it is important to underline that the reaction to cannabinoids is very subjective and varies from woman to woman. It is advisable to start with an intermediate concentration percentage (4% - 10%) and based on the result choose whether to increase or decrease the dosage or initial concentration. Light cannabis inflorescences are also an excellent ally for menstrual pain, to be taken in herbal teas or decoctions.
Cannabis swabs
The latest frontier in terms of fighting menstrual pain is Foria Relief , a cannabis-based capsule to be inserted into the vagina to relieve menstrual cramps . It is the proposal of a Californian start-up that distributes cannabis-based products to help women who suffer every month due to their period. These capsules relieve pain naturally , relax the muscles of the female genital system and provide relief.
Within 15-30 minutes of being inserted into the vagina, this cannabis tampon provides powerful pain relief. Foria Wellness, the company that produces it, is also participating in a scientific study with Harvard Medical School to thoroughly study the effects of its products.
For legal reasons, at the moment, Foria is only on the market in California and Colorado , and there is no precise date regarding its possible marketing in Europe and Italy.
Legal cannabis represents a powerful and valuable tool . A natural remedy with enormous potential. Especially for women's health, it is a golden ally, which is slowly seeing its dignity recognized by the scientific community. Research is making enormous progress and a culture of cannabis as a cosmetic and medicinal product is increasingly spreading. There are still many steps to be taken, especially at the level of scientific experimentation.
For products like Foria Relief, for example, the beneficial properties related to administration have not yet been confirmed. And there are those who also talk about the placebo effect.
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