Mechanisms and motivations of medicinal plant use against dysmenorrhea

Background: Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) negatively impacts the lives of many women on a global scale. For centuries, women across the world have relied on medicinal plants to treat dysmenorrhea. For an industrialized country like the Netherlands, however, data on such plant use is almost absent. This study aimed to document which plant taxa women in the Netherlands use to treat dysmenorrhea and their motivations behind plant choice. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and online surveys were conducted among women who used and advised plants to treat dysmenorrhea. Respondents were recruited via social media and snowballing. Literature research was conducted to investigate what phytochemicals are related to alleviating dysmenorrhea in the Netherlands and abroad. Results: Our 156 respondents mentioned 87 plant taxa to treat menstrual pain. Alchemilla spp., Achillea millefolium L., Matricaria spp., Rubus idaeus L., Salix spp., Cannabis sativa L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe were the most used and advised plant taxa. Familiarity, experienced positive effects and availability were the most important motivations reported for choosing specific plant taxa. Experienced side effects as a result of painkillers were often mentioned as a reason to use herbal medicine. Conclusions: This study is a valuable addition to current knowledge about medicinal plant use to alleviate dysmenorrhea. The reported plant taxa were similarly used in other countries and contained a wide variety of mechanisms of action, which indicates that dysmenorrhea can have different treatments. Gaining more insight in women’s healthcare choices and motivations is vital in securing high-quality and suitable, personalized healthcare.