Chamomile tea for relief of primary dysmenorrhea.

Introduction:Primary dysmenorrhea is a common disorder occurs in 60-93 of women in menstrual age. It is characterized by pain in the lower abdomen region which may radiate to thighs, despite no dysfunction in the genital system. The onset is in early stages of menstruation that may last by 2 to 3 days. Tranquilizers, herbal drugs and massaging are being applied as treatmentmodalities. Chamomile tea may alleviate the pain, but scientific studies have yet to be conducted. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of applying chamomile tea on dysmenorrhea. Methods: 80 students of Toyserkan Azad University in western Iran were enrolled in such semi-experimental study. They were randomly divided into two equal groups of study and control. Participants in the study group were asked to drink two cups of Chamomile tea a day, 1 week prior to menstruation and first five days of their menstruation cycle for a 3 month period. Data were gathered by four separate questionnaires (McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scales for Anxiety, Perceived Stress Scale and The Psycho physiologic Life Adaptation Scale). They were applied before the commencement of intervention, on 1st month and 3rd month, respectively. Data analysis was carried out using Wilcoxon and Chi-square tests. Results: After 1 month of usingChamomile tea, study group had a statistically significant difference in experiencing menstrual pain, distress and anxiety compared to those of control one.There were statistically significant difference between two groups in summation of means of four questionnaires, on 1st and 3rd months of usingChamomile tea (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study finds chamomile tea an effective therapy in relieving the pain originated from primary dysmenorrhea and its consequent psycho-social problems.