During my career, as an Olympic sprinter athlete, I knew that I could not use the excuse of menstrual pain to get in the way of my competitions. I was no longer in gym class where I could just sit out; the competition was not going to wait for me. So like most female competitors, I reached for an anti-inflammatory. I hated taking drugs of any kind, but I felt I had no choice.

For many years I suffered with unbearable menstrual pain. It was so bad at times I was admitted to the hospital with excruciating pain. There are many women like myself that experience symptoms like severe vomiting and back pain, dizziness, nausea and headaches.

I practiced self hypnosis during my entire athletic career, but it never occurred to me to try to use self hypnosis to control my menstrual pain. Actually, I thought it was impossible. Pain feels so real, and insurmountable. Using sport hypnosis to sprint faster was one thing, but I believed then that menstrual pain was natural and normal.

However, while some pain during menstruation is typical, excessive pain is not. I discovered that the medical term for extremely painful periods is dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual pain that occurs in healthy women. The hormone prostaglandin, produced in the uterus, is thought to be a cause for dysmenorrhea. This hormone produces contraction of the uterus and contractions tend to be much higher in women with severe menstrual pain than in women who experience mild or no menstrual pain.

About four years ago, I explored the possibility of controlling my menstrual pain with alternative medicine. I first tried visualization. I imagined where the pain was coming from in my abdomen, I visualized the pain surrounded by light, and I saw the light leave my body. This method did not work, and I felt the full force of the pain. I went back to medication.

Then I tried self hypnosis using full induction, deepening, and then incorporated visualization, and suggestions. I was amazed, and within a few hours I felt significant relief. For the first time in my life, I was able to go through my entire period without reaching for anti-inflammatories.

It has been over a year now, and while I still experience some discomfort, I can go on with my normal activities. I used to experience pain for 3-4 days, and spent most of the time irritated and moody, even when I was taking the medication. I used to feel that menstrual pain was impossible and insurmountable, but today I know that anything is possible. If you have tried a number of treatments, and nothing has worked try hypnosis.