The Effectiveness of Herbal Interventions  in Reducing Dysmenorrhea: A Scoping Review

Meilina Intan Dewi Saputri; Supriyadi Supriyadi; Bedjo Santosa

doi:10.14710/jphtcr.v8i3.29989

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jphtcr.v8i3.29989

The Effectiveness of Herbal Interventions in Reducing Dysmenorrhea: A Scoping Review

Meilina Intan Dewi Saputri¹ , Supriyadi Supriyadi², Bedjo Santosa³

¹Department of Midwifery, Poltekkes Kemenkes Semarang, Semarang, Jawa Tengah , Indonesia

²Department of Nursing, Poltekkes Kemenkes Semarang, Semarang, Jawa Tengah , Indonesia

³Department of Dental Health, Poltekkes Kemenkes Semarang, Semarang, Jawa Tengah , Indonesia

Received: 7 Nov 2025; Published: 30 Dec 2025.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{JPHTCR29989,
    author = {Meilina Intan Saputri and Supriyadi Supriyadi and Bedjo Santosa},
    title = {The Effectiveness of Herbal Interventions  in Reducing Dysmenorrhea: A Scoping Review},
    journal = {Journal of Public Health for Tropical and Coastal Region},
  volume = {8},
    number = {3},
    year = {2025},
    keywords = {dysmenorrhea, menstrual pain, herbal intervention, complementary therapy, scoping review.},
    abstract = {  Introduction:  Dysmenorrhea is a prevalent reproductive condition among adolescents and women of reproductive age. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea in Indonesia is 91.27 %. Analgesic drugs are frequently used to relieve pain; however, their potential side effects are common. Consequently, interest in herbal treatments has increased, as they are perceived to be safer and more suitable for the sustainable long-term management of dysmenorrhea. This scoping review aimed to identify herbal remedies that can reduce dysmenorrhea symptoms and the administration method.   Methods :  A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, searching Garuda and PubMed for articles published between 2015 and 2024 using the keywords “Dysmenorrhea” AND “Herbal Treatment.” Experimental or quasi-experimental studies on herbal interventions for primary dysmenorrhea were included, and data were descriptively analyzed to assess the types of herbs, administration methods, and their effects on pain. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria.   Results : Herbal agents, such as ginger, mint, cinnamon, chamomile, licorice, turmeric, tamarind, evodia fruit, and traditional Thai and Chinese formulations, were found to be effective in alleviating dysmenorrhea, likely due to their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antispasmodic mechanisms. The administration was mostly through oral intake in the form of drinks, syrup, capsules, and infusion, and also through aromatherapy.   Conclusion : Herbs, including ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, licorice, and multi-herbal formulations, can serve as safe complementary therapies, particularly for individuals intolerant to conventional medications such as NSAIDs. Nonetheless, further research with stronger study designs and standardized dosages is required to support broader, affordable, and practical applications in the general population of the general population },
   issn = {2597-4378},   pages = {266--278}  doi = {10.14710/jphtcr.v8i3.29989},
    url = {https://ejournal2.undip.ac.id/index.php/jphtr/article/view/29989}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Introduction: Dysmenorrhea is a prevalent reproductive condition among adolescents and women of reproductive age. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea in Indonesia is 91.27 %. Analgesic drugs are frequently used to relieve pain; however, their potential side effects are common. Consequently, interest in herbal treatments has increased, as they are perceived to be safer and more suitable for the sustainable long-term management of dysmenorrhea. This scoping review aimed to identify herbal remedies that can reduce dysmenorrhea symptoms and the administration method.

Methods : A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, searching Garuda and PubMed for articles published between 2015 and 2024 using the keywords “Dysmenorrhea” AND “Herbal Treatment.” Experimental or quasi-experimental studies on herbal interventions for primary dysmenorrhea were included, and data were descriptively analyzed to assess the types of herbs, administration methods, and their effects on pain. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Herbal agents, such as ginger, mint, cinnamon, chamomile, licorice, turmeric, tamarind, evodia fruit, and traditional Thai and Chinese formulations, were found to be effective in alleviating dysmenorrhea, likely due to their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antispasmodic mechanisms. The administration was mostly through oral intake in the form of drinks, syrup, capsules, and infusion, and also through aromatherapy.

Conclusion: Herbs, including ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, licorice, and multi-herbal formulations, can serve as safe complementary therapies, particularly for individuals intolerant to conventional medications such as NSAIDs. Nonetheless, further research with stronger study designs and standardized dosages is required to support broader, affordable, and practical applications in the general population of the general population

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Keywords: dysmenorrhea, menstrual pain, herbal intervention, complementary therapy, scoping review.

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In Vol 8, No 3 (2025): Journal of Public Health for Tropical and Coastal Region

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