Medicine does not know why menstruation is uncomfortable, or why
it is much more uncomfortable for some women than for others, or
from month to month. Occasionally, severe menstrual pain
indicates the presence of endometriosis (a condition in which
uterine tissue is growing in places other than the uterus) or
uterine fibroids (benign tumors in the uterus). In most cases,
no identifiable abnormality can be found. Natural substances
known as prostaglandins seem to play a central role in menstrual
pain, but their detailed actions are not fully understood. Anti-
inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen relieve pain
and reduce levels of some prostaglandins. These drugs are the
mainstay of conventional treatment for menstrual pain. Oral
contraceptive treatment may also help. The omega-3 fatty acids
in fish oil are thought to have anti-inflammatory effects.
Omega-3 may relieve dysmenorrhea by affecting the metabolism of
prostaglandins and other factors involved in pain and
inflammation.1 In a 4-month study o