The effectiveness of applied herbal gels containing herbal extracts for primary dysmenorrhea treatment

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of applied herbal gels containing herbal extracts for primary dysmenorrhea treatment. The herbal medicinal extracts of the Yapoktongnoikublohit recipe (the poultice for the lower abdomen that pushes the blood) were prepared as a gel in accordance with the instructions provided in the Traditional Thai Medical textbook. Additionally, the developed gel contained other ingredients including methyl salicylate and peppermint essential oil. In subjects with primary dysmenorrhea, a pain relief test was conducted. A group of 15 female participants were tested for menstrual pain levels before and after gel administration using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on day 1 and day 2 of menstruation.  The menstrual pain level was assessed after using the gel for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours. The results showed all 15 subjects had a decrease in pain scores after using the gel. The average menstrual pain score on day 1 and day 2 showed that menstrual pain scores before, after 15 minutes, after 30 minutes, after 1 hour, and after 4 hours were significantly different in at least one pair (P < 0.01). When tested for differences in pairs with the Bonferroni’s method, it was found that the average menstrual pain scores before and after 30 minutes, before and after 1 hour, and before and after 4 hours were significantly different (P < 0.01). The findings indicated that the applied herbal gels containing herbal extracts from the Yapoktongnoikublohit recipe had reduced menstrual pain levels in female reproductive-age subjects with primary dysmenorrhea and no side effects or adverse reactions, which may be a new alternative for relieving menstrual pain.