{"data":[{"id":8,"attributes":{"title":"Pain & progesteron","slug":"Holistic-medicine","body":"_PD Dr. Vanessa Eichel studied medicine, worked as a paediatrician and later specialised in infection control and environmental medicine. We met online in a women’s support group, where she mentioned she now works in a department of integrative, holistic medicine. In conversation for \"Cycle Stories\" she talked about her work, menstrual pain treatment and common misunderstanding of progesterone, approaching natural contraception and more._ \n\nI\n\n**What's holistic medicine and where did you get your interest in natural healing?**\n\nIt is also sometimes called CAM – complementary and alternative medicine, but we don’t want to use it anymore. It is not an alternative, it is a normal treatment – complementary or integrated. You can also call it natural or traditional.\n\nI was born with atopic dermatitis and all my life I wanted to get rid of it – it was very bad and decreased my quality of life like crazy. I felt like I have to find a way.\n\nI became a paediatrician to help children with this condition, but I really couldn’t do what I wanted to do in the system. It was not how I wanted to treat a patient and it was not in accordance with my values. It felt like holistic approach it is getting forgotten and people are not really using it – even when it can be effective, cheap and has less side effects. \n\nWe always try to fix everything with a pill but at the end of the day what helps the most are basics and understanding the root causes. Every chronic disease in the Western world has a root cause in our lifestyle – heart and brain attacks, cancer, dementia, autoimmune diseases, allergies, psychological diseases.. Our lifestyle has changed tremendously and is not the one we evolved for. \n\n**How did you get to work in holistic medicine?**\n\nI went into research, coming back to what I really wanted to do: natural medicine. \n\nMy first project in this field was research on eczema and how we can use certain plants as an antibiotic instead of antibiotics from the pharmacy. And then I got to work in the hospital's department that’s completely about holistic and natural medicine ([University Center for Naturopathy](https://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/naturheilkunde/uni-zentrum-naturheilkunde.html) in University Clinics Freiburg).\n\nIt’s still quite unusual for a normal hospital to have an official department like this. It is funded by a foundation, and we can also apply for grants and get money from the government to eventually employ more people. It is going very well – we are a small research team and we also offer patient consultations. \n\nThere are a lot of people who are open to that kind of treatment now, but they have to pay for a visit with their own money.\n\n**How does it look? I can visit you with my problem as a patient? Or are you mainly doing the research? Or am I the research?..**\n\nIt’s all three. I’m doing a lot of research but I also have patients. Our team follows an approach where we want to protect our patients from spending too much money on healthcare. Usually we are very restrictive – we don’t recommend a lot of things you'd have to pay for. We mainly focus on quality explanation.\n\n**So I come to you with a cough, and what happens next?**\n\nI ask you A LOT of questions! When did it start, how long is it and how intense, is it dry, does it come in certain situations, what’s your medical history.. Then I’d listen to the sound of your lungs, maybe do an oral examination and then we would see, take some blood if necessary.. And then the treatment can be both – drugs, surgery, but also herbs, complementary techniques or psychotherapy.\n\n**Do you think more medical professionals start paying attention to the link of stress and health issues?**\n\nEvery medical professional I talk to knows stress of course has a role in the disease. But they cannot really do anything about it. So they just concentrate on the hard facts they know and then can recommend some stress relief techniques. \n\n**How can we approach healthcare differently?**\n\nWe could do so much more for prevention – individually, but also as a society. Reduce sitting and find ways to be outside more. Pay attention to the pollution and the quality of food that we consume.\n\nAnd when it comes to medicine, I’d like us to not separate “the normal” treatment from the holistic treatment. Currently as a doctor you kinda have to decide, are you the politically correct one, or are you the underdog. \n\nBut we are progressing. We are doing a lot of research and we can do evidence based medicine, not empirically based only. Slowly but steadily, the holistic approach is getting more respected and the governments start to fund it. So there is hope! But it is mainly caused by the patients. Patients want it, and patients believe in it. And it’s for a reason. \n\nAt the same time, I would like to make a warning: in complementary medicine there are also lots of people who want to make money. Not everyone who says “I do holistic complementary treatment” is qualified, helpful, and does not harm. It can be good, but be careful and critical.\n\n**How can one safely navigate medical information?**\n\nIf you’re into that, you can read the studies. What would also be really nice is to have platforms where patients are exchanging their experience with the disease and write down what helped them, but this might be difficult to fact check. \n\nAnother thing – listen to your body, that’s very important. Your body's feedback is more important than any advice. It is very helpful for the patient to be empowered, and not just dependant on a therapist, to know you can change something in your situation. As a good rule you can try to remember what your grandparents did.\n\nRemember the old knowledge, read the old knowledge. Traditional Chinese, Indian (Ayurveda) and European medicine developed independently but have a lot of similarities. All are working with some kind of movement and some kind of herbal treatments, right nutrition and psychological interventions in a way..\n\nII\n\n**As to female reproductive health, what is happening in this area?**\n\nI think a lot is happening. It was really not very well researched until recently, but it has changed a lot. And it is exciting to see researchers making progress.\n\nCurrently we see the cases of strong menstrual pain rising like crazy and so is the infertility problem and all kinds of libido problems. \n\nIt is important to ask, where it comes from, and look for solutions. It of course has to do with our lifestyle, and our environment has also changed a lot – all the harmful chemicals we are exposed to are destroying the hormone system of both men and women.\n\n**Please, tell more about menstrual pain**\n\nIf not caused by other diseases, menstrual pain can derive from two things – the imbalance in a hormonal system and an inflammatory state of the body.\n\nFirst reason for strong paeriod pain can be the hormonal imbalance:\n\nIt's usually very high levels of estrogen and very low levels of progesterone. \n\nVery high estrogen can come from environmental factors – we are constantly exposed to what we call “xenoestrogens” – chemicals found in plastics and everyday products that trick our bodies into thinking they're hormones. Estrogens are stimulating hormones – and higher levels of them are just not good for us, but can also lead to breast cancer for women and to prostate cancer in men. \n\nAnd the progesteron – the lack of it causes both period pain and fertility problems. Where does this lack come from? Partially, from a lot of stress, again. Progesterone and cortisol, the stress hormone, are produced in a similar path, and if you have a lot of stress you have to produce lots of cortisol – so there’s basically not so much available to produce the progesterone. \n\nAnd then the second reason for menstrual pain is related to inflammation in the body:\n\nDuring menstruation, our bodies naturally produce compounds called prostaglandins – chemical messengers that cause cramping, so that the blood vessels of the uterus contract and open, shedding the uterine lining. \n\nWhen our bodies are in a state of chronic inflammation (as a result of insufficient physical activity, poor sleep, environmental pollutants, ongoing stress and eating more processed and inflammatory foods) our prostaglandin production may become dysregulated, leading to excessive production of prostaglandins during menstruation.\n\nWith higher levels of these inflammatory compounds, uterine contractions become more intense and painful. Essentially, an already inflamed body may respond to the normal hormonal signals for menstruation with an amplified inflammatory response, potentially making cramps more severe and uncomfortable.\n\n**I wanted to ask you about some magical natural remedies to treat the pain, but I have a suspicion we just need to start with a lifestyle?** \n\nYeah.\n\n**And like, change the system in which we live as a society?**\n\nYes, exactly.\n\n**Quite a big work?**\n\nYes, lots of work. But again, we want to empower the patients so that they can do a lot on their own. The system is one thing, but nowadays you have agency and responsibility to do a lot for your health.\n\n**And still, is there a natural treatment for menstrual pain? If I have a period and feel pain – how can I help myself?**\n\nYou can do more specific diagnostics, but in general I would address two things. First, the hormonal system, and second – the proinflammatory state. \n\nTo address the pain that is linked to the hormonal imbalance, you can try using chasteberry (also known as vitex or monk's pepper) and yams – both are plants that are proven to be beneficial for women's health in many ways. You have to use it throughout your entire cycle, not just one day, and better in capsules. \n\nFor the inflammation, you have to make sure you have enough vitamin D and omega 3. It is very important and it is something that’s often underdosed. For omega 3, we have a lot of sources of it – fish and seed oils, but I would recommend checking the algae one. The fish one is not ethical and might have lots of pollution in it, but fish itself has it from algae, too – so it’s about returning to the beginning of the omega 3 production cycle.\n\n**I see more and more information about syncing your cycle with what you eat, with taking certain supplements.. Is it legit?**\n\nYou can do it if you want to explore this, of course. The most important thing is always the overall lifestyle, but if you want to emphasise the menstrual cycle, go for it. I know some people explore drinking different herbal teas to support different phases of the cycle, e.g. raspberry leaf for days 1-7, green tea for days 8-14, and chasteberry or ashwagandha for days 20-28.\n\nPersonally, I noticed a couple of times being hungry for something and then checking and finding out this is what’s recommended for the phase I was in. If you’re really intuitive and listen to what you’re hungry for, then usually it should be good. \n\n**You mentioned “natural family planning” before we met for this conversation. Is it basically just being aware of when I'm fertile and when I'm not, or is it more complicated?**\n\nIt’s exactly that. You can plan to become pregnant or you can plan not to. Natural contraception is basically learning to understand your cycle and knowing what are the days you are actually fertile and thus can get pregnant. It’s free from side effects and costs you nothing – just your time and attention, and getting a thermometer. \n\nI would recommend considering it if you have a stable cycle. If you are completely fluctuating, it is tricky to choose such a method contraception. But then it’s just a great way to learn about your body and your cycle. \n\n**Where would you start if you wanted to understand your menstrual cycle, feel more in tune with it and experience it in a more healthy and accepting way?**\n\nI would first read about the cycle and the symptoms of all phases, and then I would see if I feel it as well in my body – or what I feel in my body. I would track the cycle, at least mark the first day of the menstruation, so that I know where I am in it. And then I would try to experience it.\n\n**And how different is the contraception part?**\n\nFor that, you combine knowing the day of your cycle (also know as calendar method), regular measurements of your body temperature and observing other symptoms, such as mucus, bodily sensations etc. You can feel a lot of different symptoms during your cycle, and learn to use them to identify the current phase.\n\n**So – I know when I’m fertile and those days I'm using the barrier contraception, but on other days it is impossible for me to get pregnant?**\n\nOn fertile days you are using condoms, yes. Like with any other contraception, unwanted pregnancy is still possible if you’re choosing this method, but if you have a stable cycle and know your body well, the natural way can be actually as safe as the pill. \n\nI have been doing it for 15, 20 years already – it was not very common when I started. Now that I know my body I don’t have to measure the temperature every day, although I still do it on important few days if I want to be certain.\n\nAlso, it is important to remember that this method does not protect you from STDs, and they are really coming back. So for that, use condoms, and if you’re not, sexual partners have at least to do a check-up before the first intercourse. \n\n**How did you learn about that yourself?**\n\nThere was an online explanation, “[Sensi plan](https://www.sensiplan.de/en)” that you could print out, and there was a study that validated this system. Discovering it was a big shift for me. Before, I wasn’t realising to the full extent that so many things happening to me are also symptoms of the cycle.\n\nAnd then I remember during my medical studies there was a young female gynaecologist teaching us, and while speaking about different methods of contraception, she also told us about natural family planning.\n\n**Was it a badass thing to do?**\n\nDefinitely! It was a very long time ago, and it was really badass. \n\n**What about hormonal contraception? What do you tell your patients about it?**\n\nHormonal contraception is basically mimicking pregnancy. And it has a lot of effects on the body. Everyone is responding to it differently, and the newer pills are getting better, but you have a lot of bad effects, that’s true. It can also compensate for something, because the pill is usually a progesterone, and as I said before, we are lacking a lot of progesterone nowadays. \n\nBut if you want to use it for health reasons, I would recommend using natural identical progesterone. In this case you first have to measure what your progesterone level is to know if it is lacking, and then get an individualised treatment with your doctor. It is very expensive, so we don’t usually recommend it. \n\nAgain – instead of spending too much money, realise that the lack of progesterone comes from stress – and a lot of other different things – but mainly stress, and then increase it by decreasing stress. \n\n**How would you start decreasing stress?**\n\nI would first make myself aware how it feels in my body. How can I be aware I'm in stress right now and what is the level of it? Do I have cold hands, sweaty hands, how's my heart rate and my blood pressure, do I walk very fast, do I eat very fast, do I talk very fast? A lot of symptoms.. So yes, to be aware of my stress level. \n\nAnd then to realise what brings it up. Short term physical stress, such as sports, can be beneficial, however the chronic longterm stress is the problem of our time. What is causing the longterm stress? It can be both psychological and physiological – stress on the body, for example lack of sleep, bad nutrition, also feeling chronic pressure, not feeling safe, chronic unresloved conflicts, and loneliness. First, understanding the reason and trying to find a solution. And then – there are many things you can do to find help and feel better. \n","color":"#346c34","subtitle":"talk with holistic doctor","createdAt":"2025-06-02T15:31:31.344Z","updatedAt":"2025-12-09T20:22:40.633Z","publishedAt":"2025-06-02T15:35:31.410Z","author":"Alise Īlena","meta_description":"Conversation with integrated medicine doctor – on future of medicine, modern lifestyle & period pain connection and natural family planning.","rank":null,"additional_components":[],"image":{"data":{"id":102,"attributes":{"name":"pillowcase in little reykjavik room.jpg","alternativeText":null,"caption":"photo of Polina Sirojegyna","width":3000,"height":1999,"formats":{"large":{"ext":".jpg","url":"/uploads/large_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6.jpg","hash":"large_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6","mime":"image/jpeg","name":"large_pillowcase in little reykjavik room.jpg","path":null,"size":66.76,"width":1000,"height":666,"sizeInBytes":66759},"small":{"ext":".jpg","url":"/uploads/small_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6.jpg","hash":"small_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6","mime":"image/jpeg","name":"small_pillowcase in little reykjavik room.jpg","path":null,"size":18.63,"width":500,"height":333,"sizeInBytes":18625},"medium":{"ext":".jpg","url":"/uploads/medium_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6.jpg","hash":"medium_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6","mime":"image/jpeg","name":"medium_pillowcase in little reykjavik room.jpg","path":null,"size":38.17,"width":750,"height":500,"sizeInBytes":38167},"thumbnail":{"ext":".jpg","url":"/uploads/thumbnail_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6.jpg","hash":"thumbnail_pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6","mime":"image/jpeg","name":"thumbnail_pillowcase in little reykjavik room.jpg","path":null,"size":5.71,"width":235,"height":156,"sizeInBytes":5706}},"hash":"pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6","ext":".jpg","mime":"image/jpeg","size":566.61,"url":"/uploads/pillowcase_in_little_reykjavik_room_6c9493baf6.jpg","previewUrl":null,"provider":"local","provider_metadata":null,"createdAt":"2025-06-02T15:34:23.338Z","updatedAt":"2025-06-02T15:34:45.492Z"}}}}}],"meta":{"pagination":{"page":1,"pageSize":25,"pageCount":1,"total":1}}}

Pain & progesteron talk with holistic doctor