title: Common traditional Chinese medicinal herbs for dysmenorrhea.
abstract: Dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual cramps, which negatively impacts the quality of life of those diagnosed. The paper reviews traditional Chinese medicine's treatment of dysmenorrhea through the use of combination-herbal-formula therapeutics. These herbal treatments are effective for dysmenorrhea with minimal side effects. Pharmacological studies suggest Chinese herbal dysmenorrhea therapies likely decrease prostaglandin levels, modulate nitric oxide, increase plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) levels, block calcium-channels and improve microcirculation. Conventional therapy for dysmenorrhea, which usually includes non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), provides symptomatic relief but has increasing adverse effects with long-term use. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines, including simple herbal and combination formulas, are perhaps the ideal therapeutics of choice.
authors.affiliation: The School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Weijia@sjtu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Desheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yongyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal