Dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual cramps, which negatively impacts the quality of life of a large percentage of the
world’s female population in reproductive age. The paper reviews the plants used in the Malian traditional medicine for the
treatment of dysmenorrhea. Some medicinal plants were effective for treatments of dysmenorrhea with minimal side effects.
Conventional therapy for dysmenorrhea, which usually includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), provides
symptomatic relief, but presents increasing adverse effects with long-term use. This article is in the framework of a study
supported by International Foundation for Science (IFS) on three medicinal plants used in the treatment of dysmenorrhea in
Mali:
Maytenus senegalensis
Stereospermum kunthianum
and
Trichilia emetica
.
