Cohort study, 2018
Do women with PMS or period pain use more complementary therapies like vitamins or yoga over time?
Yes. Over 7 years, Australian women's use of vitamins, yoga, massage and similar therapies linked to PMS and period problems went up, but this study can't say whether those therapies actually worked.
What they did
Researchers followed Australian women who were aged 28 to 33 in 2006, re-surveying them every 3 years for 7 years as part of a large national women's health study. They tracked rates of PMS, endometriosis, irregular periods, heavy periods and severe period pain, and which complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners or products the women used.
What they found
PMS and heavy period rates increased over the 7 years, while endometriosis, irregular periods and severe period pain stayed about the same. Vitamins/minerals, yoga/meditation, massage, herbal medicine and aromatherapy were the therapies most linked to these symptoms. Use of most CAM practitioners and products rose over time (except aromatherapy, which fell, and naturopath/herbalist visits, which didn't increase).
What it means for you
Many women with PMS turn to complementary therapies, and this tendency grows as they get older. But because the study only tracked patterns of use, not whether symptoms actually improved, it cannot tell us if these therapies really help.
7 years
Length of follow-up
28-33
Starting age range
About the study
- Original title
- Cyclic Perimenstrual Pain and Discomfort and Australian Women's Associated Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Longitudinal Study
- Authors
- Fisher C, Hickman L, Adams J et al.
- Journal
- Journal of women's health (2002)
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None tested. This was an observational look at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, not a trial.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2016.6253
Topics
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