Remediable Medicinal Plants Used for Dysmenorrhea Treatment-A Short Review

The medical term for menstrual cramps is dysmenorrhea. Menstrual cramps are pains that begin in the lower abdomen and pelvis, i.e. below the waistline. The cramps can be a quite painful or simply a dull ache. They can be periodic or continual. More than 10000 plant species are used as traditional medicines in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Since the ancient times, plants have been exemplary sources of medicine. Ayurveda and other Indian medicinal system literature mention the use of plants in various human ailments. India has about 45000 plant species and among them several thousand are claimed to possess medicinal properties. Researchers conducted in the last few decades on the plants mentioned in ancient literature or used traditionally for dysmenorrhea. This review reveals that plants and their extracts used as dysmenorrhea remedy.