--- title: Do women with PMS or period pain use more complementary therapies like vitamins or yoga over time? description: Yes. Over 7 years, Australian women's use of vitamins, yoga, massage and similar therapies linked to PMS and period problems went up, but this study can't say url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cyclic-perimenstrual-pain-and-discomfort-and-australian-women-s-associated-use-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMS or period pain use more complementary therapies like vitamins or yoga over time? Cohort study, 2018 # Do women with PMS or period pain use more complementary therapies like vitamins or yoga over time? Yes. Over 7 years, Australian women's use of vitamins, yoga, massage and similar therapies linked to PMS and period problems went up, but this study can't say whether those therapies actually worked. Moderate study design Australian women aged 28 to 33 in 2006, followed for 7 years as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. ## What they did Researchers followed Australian women who were aged 28 to 33 in 2006, re-surveying them every 3 years for 7 years as part of a large national women's health study. They tracked rates of PMS, endometriosis, irregular periods, heavy periods and severe period pain, and which complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners or products the women used. ## What they found PMS and heavy period rates increased over the 7 years, while endometriosis, irregular periods and severe period pain stayed about the same. Vitamins/minerals, yoga/meditation, massage, herbal medicine and aromatherapy were the therapies most linked to these symptoms. Use of most CAM practitioners and products rose over time (except aromatherapy, which fell, and naturopath/herbalist visits, which didn't increase). ## What it means for you Many women with PMS turn to complementary therapies, and this tendency grows as they get older. But because the study only tracked patterns of use, not whether symptoms actually improved, it cannot tell us if these therapies really help. 7 years Length of follow-up 28-33 Starting age range ## About the study Original title Cyclic Perimenstrual Pain and Discomfort and Australian Women's Associated Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Longitudinal Study Authors Fisher C, Hickman L, Adams J et al. Journal Journal of women's health (2002) Year 2018 Study design Cohort study What was tested None tested. This was an observational look at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, not a trial. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2016.6253](https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2016.6253) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Mindfulness and meditation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-mindfulness/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)[Endometriosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-endometriosis/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2016 How many Australian women have PMS and do they use complementary medicine? Case report, 2023 Does acupuncture combined with supplements and meditation help PMS? Non-randomised trial, 2019 Does cinnamon and ginger combined with exercise help reduce PMS and period pain symptoms? Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? Systematic review, 2021 Does damask rose help reduce menstrual pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating? Randomised trial, 2003 What complementary and alternative medicines help with women's reproductive health issues? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗