--- title: How do women use complementary and alternative medicine for menstrual pain? description: Many women use it, especially herbal remedies and supplements, usually without a healthcare provider's guidance. Most women think these treatments work, but t url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-critical-review-of-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-use-by-women-with-2016/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How do women use complementary and alternative medicine for menstrual pain? Survey study, 2016 # How do women use complementary and alternative medicine for menstrual pain? Many women use it, especially herbal remedies and supplements, usually without a healthcare provider's guidance. Most women think these treatments work, but there is limited scientific evidence about how well they actually do. Moderate study design Women from multiple countries using complementary and alternative medicine for menstrual pain (based on reviewed research studies) ## What they did Critical review of published research studies from multiple medical databases examining how women use complementary and alternative medicine (like herbs, supplements, and massage) for menstrual pain and discomfort. ## What they found Complementary and alternative medicine is widely used for menstrual pain, especially herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, and massage. Most women use these treatments without professional guidance and self-prescribe them. Women generally report that these treatments work for them, but there is little scientific research on which treatments actually help or which women are most likely to benefit. ## What it means for you While complementary and alternative medicine is very commonly used for menstrual pain, we have limited research on whether these treatments actually work or who they help most. Women should discuss their use of these treatments with their healthcare provider to ensure safety and coordinate their care. ## About the study Original title A critical review of complementary and alternative medicine use by women with cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort: a focus upon prevalence, patterns and applications of use and users' motivations, information seeking and self-perceived efficacy Authors Fisher C, Sibbritt D, Hickman L et al. Journal Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica Year 2016 Study design Survey study What was tested Various complementary and alternative medicine approaches including herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, and massage Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/aogs.12921](https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.12921) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Systematic review, 2021 Does damask rose help reduce menstrual pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating? Randomised trial, 2006 What herbs and dietary supplements have evidence for treating premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2023 What factors make premenstrual syndrome worse in nursing students? Survey study, 2023 What factors make PMS worse in college students? Survey study, 2023 How common is PMS in Jordan and what factors are linked to it? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗