WE'RE TAKING A DEEP DIVE INTO THE PROMISE OF CBD FOR UTERINE HEALTH
GETTING A HANDLE ON OUR SEXUAL HEALTH TO UNLOCK OUR HAPPINESS
If you suffer from uterine symptoms like painful periods and severe back pain, you’ll know better than anyone how it impacts your quality of life. What’s reassuring to know is that you’re not alone. These conditions are prevalent, occurring in up to 69% of women, and other related conditions can also cause mayhem in the uterus affecting fertility and our well-being.
So, what do we do? First off, keeping the uterus healthy should be a part of every woman’s sexual wellness plan. The good news is that there are many preventative practices to support uterine function. While we’re on the subject, the benefits of CBD for uterine health are still being studied but show positive potential, so hooray for that. But this one is all about getting a comprehensive sexual wellness plan to support you day-in-day-out, so let’s dive deep and investigate how you can improve your uterine health and how CBD might help.
What Is the Uterus?
Lesson 101 – in the whole getting to know your body bit, you need to get acquainted with your uterus. This pear-shaped organ sits inside the pelvis and is part of a woman’s reproductive system. You’ll find it between the bladder and rectum, and it has fallopian tubes and ovaries on each side.
In terms of jobs, the uterus has that all-important remit of carrying a fetus while it develops and grows. In a crazy, mind-blowing way, this reproductive organ grows alongside the fetus during pregnancy and shrinks back almost to its original size within weeks after birth. Seriously, this is one stretchy work of art. But here’s the other thing, as the uterus is located so close to your other sexual organs it can present a bit of a pain mystery because pelvic pain could be related to the uterus or another organ entirely.
What’s interesting from a medical POV, is that uterine conditions can either be caused by health issues stemming directly from the uterus, or by something else, like hormones for instance. To give you an overview, here are some of the common conditions that can make our uterus feel out of whack:
- Menstrual Cramps: You might have heard of this as the clinical-sounding dysmenorrhea, which is severe menstrual cramps and pelvic pain before or during your period. It can develop from PMS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other underlying conditions. Quick note: fear not, period pain itself doesn’t necessarily indicate that there’s something wrong, instead be mindful of anything abnormal with your menstrual cycle.
- Menorrhagia: If you have menorrhagia, you’ll experience heavy menstrual bleeding or bleeding that lasts longer than the normal menstruation window. This sometimes has no known cause, but it’s usually an important indicator of an underlying condition. Things like hormone imbalances, fibroids, polyps, and cancer, among others can be at the route of this symptom.
- Uterine Prolapse: Uterine prolapse is when the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments weaken to the point of no longer supporting the uterus. Risk factors for this increase for obese and postmenopausal women who’ve had one or more vaginal deliveries. If you’re wondering what to look for, symptoms range from urinary problems to sexual concerns. Mild cases often actually don’t always require treatment, but if it’s affecting the quality of life, you may feel a whole lot of benefit from treatment.
- Congenital Uterine Malformation: Another little fact for you – sometimes the uterus can have an abnormal shape. When this happens, it can impact pregnancy, making it more difficult to conceive and increasing the risk of miscarriage. Certain conditions can contribute to changes in the shape or orientation of the uterus, and this means that symptoms can vary.
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: If an infection spreads through pelvic organs through the bacterial or microbial entry of the cervix, you can develop pelvic inflammatory disease. When this happens, it can impact the uterus and other female sex organs. Be vigilant for pain, abnormal discharge, abnormal smell, and urgent urination which may be a sign of this.
- Uterine Polyps: Here’s a fairly common one – uterine polyps, or endometrial polyps, affect 24% of the population and if you’re postmenopausal you’re more at risk of developing them. These noncancerous growths can be the cause of irregular menstrual challenges and postmenopausal bleeding. Polyps can cause fertility issues and may develop into cancer in some cases. This means that while you may not need treatment, you do 100% need to monitor polyps and discuss the best options for your situation with your healthcare provider.
- Uterine Fibroids: Fibroids are overgrowths of the muscle inside of your uterus, but the difference between these and polyps is that they develop on the tissue lining. First off, uterine fibroids are very common, and secondly, they can cause more severe symptoms than polyps. These symptoms range from irregular menstrual challenges, pelvic pain, back pain, painful sex, and difficulty with conception. Note that some of these benign growths don’t require treatment and won’t cause any symptoms. But sometimes, treatment is needed.
- Endometriosis: This rare condition develops when the same tissue that lines the uterus begins to grow in other parts of the body. This can lead to endometrial hyperplasia, scar tissue build-up around affected organs, as well as significant pain symptoms in the pelvic region.
- Uterine Cancer: We all shudder at the Big C but remember that uterine cancer is a rare form of cancer. It begins in the layer of cells that form the lining of the uterus. Risk factors for this type of cancer are obesity and starting periods at an early age. Symptoms typically include vaginal bleeding post-menopause and spotting between periods, so while rare, please always be on top of your sexual health and changes down there and see your healthcare provider ASAP if things don’t feel right.
The other weird and wonderful thing about our uterus is that some of these conditions can be asymptomatic for certain people, but most will rear their head with symptoms that throw your menstrual cycle off or cause other pelvic challenges. This is our plea here – if you are experiencing any abnormality with your period or have any painful pelvic symptoms, report these to your OBGYN or doctor straight away. You know it makes sense!
Natural Ways to Improve Uterine Health
On to the positive news bit! We want to shout out about all the ways you can improve your uterine health and lifestyle choices and help reduce the risk for certain uterine conditions at the same time. Yes, there are many ways to do that! Along with your annual sexual wellness exam (that’s standard – right?), here are some other smart moves.
There are many studies that have found that women with healthy vitamin D levels are less likely to develop uterine fibroids. Vitamin D may help prevent fibroid cells from developing and growing larger. Proper calcium intake may also prove beneficial for lowering the risk of developing fibroids. Choline, found rich in egg yolks, meat, and other foods, may help protect the uterus and support a number of critical functions during pregnancy. Fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel, and nuts contain omega-3 fatty acids which are important for balancing prostaglandin production and providing healthy fats for supporting a healthy uterus. The takeout point is to make sure you’re getting all the essential minerals and vitamins you need to help promote uterine health and overall wellness. Yes, an antioxidant and vitamin-rich whole food diet is the best way to go here, but if needs be, look into supplementation as an option.
As obesity is a risk factor for certain uterine conditions as well as other chronic diseases, it’s wise to focus on healthy lifestyle choices. The two pillars here are nutrition and consistent movement because in combo, they’re you’re go-to tools for weight management. Overweight and obese women are two to four times more likely to develop uterine cancer and up to three times more likely to develop fibroids. Preliminary studies have discovered that women who engage in moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activities for at least two and a half hours a week had a reduced risk of uterine cancer.
We just want to say a big boo to stress. This slippery little devil is just as impactful as obesity and nutrient deficiencies, and it may also be a contributing factor to developing uterine fibroids. Clinical research also backs up the idea that stress intensity for endometriosis patients is directly correlated with pain severity and disease extension. It’s important to clarify that it’s unclear if stress is a cause or consequence of endometriosis, but we do know that women with this condition have a heightened risk for other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases which are also associated with stress. If you want to get geeky on this, a new study even found that stress hormones may wake up dormant cancer cells after treatment. While we’re hot on the notion that stress can cause both short-term and long-term damage throughout the mind and body, this is another huge reason to get clued up on your stress management plan. The best way is to get multiple stress relief tools on the go to manage chronic stress successfully.
The endocannabinoid system plays an important role throughout the female sexual reproductive system, in particular with the uterus. Alterations with the endocannabinoid system are believed to play a role in uterine conditions like endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, and uterine cancer. Researchers are investigating the role of the endocannabinoid system in reproduction and their potential as early markers for diagnosing these disorders or as targets for treatment. CB2 receptors are expressed throughout the uterus and may offer a biological pathway for cannabinoid therapy.
While CBD’s therapeutic role in uterine conditions remains to be explored, the plant compound may offer a variety of benefits for symptom management and preventative self-care.
- CBD for stress: Studies indicate that stress may be a factor in developing or exacerbating certain conditions like uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and more. CBD may provide compelling stress-relief properties, offering a natural management tool for chronic stress.
Tip: Try our Glow Capsules to slay daily stress and dot our Soothe Body Balm on your temples to combat stress and tension headaches.
- CBD for weight management: CBD may offer weight management benefits by optimizing the metabolism when combined with proper diet and exercise. It may be used as a workout recovery tool for helping achieve more consistent goals.
- CBD for inflammation and pain relief: Many uterine conditions share the symptoms of pain and inflammation. CBD has been shown in clinical settings to help reduce chronic pain and suppress inflammation. It provides a natural alternative to NSAIDs and opiates that both have adverse side effects, especially with long-term use.
Tip: A soak with our Indulgent Bath Salts and a few sips of our Refreshing Mint Tea can double up to address both internal and external cannabinoid receptors to manage pain and inflammation.
- CBD for uterine fibroids: CBD may offer pain management for uterine fibroids. It’s always important to speak to your doctor regarding CBD if you’re undergoing any treatment for your fibroids.
- CBD for endometriosis: Studies specifically on CBD and endometriosis pain management show promising results. Preliminary research and anecdotal accounts of CBD support comprehensive symptom relief for endometriosis.
Tip: Get familiar with our Love Intimacy Spray for pain relief and delicious sensitivity enhancement during sensual experiences.
- CBD for uterine cancer: Research is currently being conducted on CBD’s potential therapeutic role in uterine cancer. While we wait for clinical trial results, CBD may offer support for symptoms of cancer treatment and cancer itself.
How to Use CBD for Uterine Health
If you have a condition that’s impacting the uterus you first need help from a healthcare professional. These conditions are serious, and so you must speak to your doctor or OBGYN first before trying CBD, especially if you’re taking any medication. The best approach is to have a comprehensive plan that supports everything from regular screenings to preventative lifestyle choices. CBD can play a part in this plan but should never be your only solution for sexual health or uterine conditions.
In terms of cannabinoid therapy, the experts agree that it varies from person to person. The key to finding your groove is self-experimentation. When talking about symptom management, do the right thing and start low and slow until the desired effects are achieved. For overall sexual wellness benefits, you’ll need to use CBD alongside an extensive self-care plan as we mentioned. Journaling as you go can be beneficial too, helping you to track your experience, dosage, and frequency.
Press Pause CBD for Uterine Health
Our handcrafted, premium, and organic CBD products are created by women, for women. We understand better than anyone the complex and unique quirks of our bodies, and how these can affect our sexual health. But finding your happy place with your sexual health is so important, so if you ever need advice on the right CBD products, we’re here for you. Shop our sexual wellness products or contact us for more information.
