Many women suffer from menstrual cramps at some point during their life.  Commercials on TV tell you to just take a Pamprin, or other pain reliever. 

Have you ever wondered why you get cramps?  It's not because you have a PAMPRIN DEFICIENCY!

Common Causes of Menstrual Cramps:

-Tilted Uterus: Total Body Modification has soft tissue corrections that help reverse a tilted uterus.  A tilted uterus is sometimes implicated in women that have been diagnosed with infertility.  I have used the tilted uterus protocol to help MANY women with cramps!

-Dehydration: Just like a marathon runner that gets muscle cramps when they are dehydrated, so does your uterus.  Increase your water intake to 1 quart or liter per 50 pounds of body weight per day to see if increasing your water intake helps your cramps.

-Lack of Minerals:  Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium are minerals that are commonly deficient in women that have menstrual cramps.  I have patients use either a supplement or increase the amount of foods they eat that contain these minerals

-Omega 3 or other Essental Fatty Acid Deficiency:  Omega 3 and Evening Primrose Oil are two supplements that can help with menstrual cramps

-Diet high in fried foods and pro-inflammatory foods: Women that eat a lot of fried foods and starch, as well as other foods that increase inflammation in the body, usually notice increasingly severe cramps.

-Misalignment in the Pelvis or Lower Back:  The nerves that feed the reproductive organs also feed the hips and low back.  It is a two way communication system.  Problems with reproductive organs can cause misalignments in the spine, and misalignments in the spine can cause reproductive problems.  This is also a common problem with women and men that are diagnosed with infertility.  My grandma had 3 miscarriages in 10 years, and was told to have a hysterectomy.  Fortunately, instead my grandpa took her to a Chiropractor.  Shortly after that, she was pregnant, and the baby born nine months later was MY MOM!!!  (That's how my grandpa decided to become a Chiropractor by the way!)

-Energy imbalances in the Acupuncture Meridians:  The Spleen, Kidneys, and Liver Meridians are commonly imbalanced in cases of menstrual cramps.  There could also be other meridians like Heart and Pericardium involved depending on the amount of emotional stress the woman deals with on a regular basis.  I use a tool called Acugraph that measures the energy in the 12 main Acupuncture meridians so that I can digitally and accurately see where the body is out of balance, and create a customized treatment for each patient at each visit.  It's amazing! Check out this link on msnbc about Acupuncture and Menstrual Cramps!

If you have questions about menstrual cramps or other health conditions, please call me at 816-256-3603!

Better Health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker