Changing Attitudes About Managing Women’s Health

Over the last 40 years, we have watched and experienced modern healthcare grow to recognize, diagnose and treat a greater variety of ailments that uniquely affect women. Research has allowed us to better identify and medically treat serious illnesses that would previously go untreated or result in more serious consequences. Although women have seen a meaningful improvement in their healthcare outcomes, there is still a long way to go in terms of properly managing pain. Women, simply due to their sex, are more prone to conditions that result in pelvic pain or serious pain because of menstruation. Unfortunately, due to the difficult nature of diagnosing the causes of pelvic pain or the cultural thought that women should just “deal” with their menstrual pain, pain management has been an underdeveloped area.

For most of the last century, women have dealt with pain and inflammation through the use of anti-inflammatory/pain relieving medication delivered through an oral pill.  It was convenient, easy to access and easy to use and thus, this became the norm without much objection. Spanning the spectrum from birth control to mood disorders, you will find pills have been the delivery method of choice for most manufacturers. However, the effect on a woman’s internal health has come into question. Long-term health indicators show noticeable side effects from the continued consumption of pills. It has been found in multiple studies that the prolonged consumption of OTC drugs and prescription pain relievers can affect multiple organs and systems in our body. These include but are not limited to: interrupting the way the liver functions, causing liver and kidney damage, leading to an elevated risk of cardiovascular adverse effects, stomach and gastrointestinal issues, and creating a greater risk of developing depression (Tholey 2021; Varga et al. 2017; SLUMC  2013).

Besides the health related effects, the consumption of pills has led to a waterfall effect on our environment. In cities, the local drinking water is laced with trace chemicals found in the production and consumption of pharmaceuticals. This is entirely reasonable considering that in the U.S. between 2015–2016, 45.8% of the population used prescription drugs over the span of 30 days. Furthermore, prescription drug use increased with age, from 18.0% of children under age 12 years to 85.0% of adults aged 60 and over (NCHA 2019). This does not take into account the usage of over-the-counter medications, which by some accounts is multiple times the prescription medication volume. These chemicals are metabolized by the body and end up in the water shed system through the waste we produce, creating a strain on the individual and on the ecosystem.

Over the last decade we have seen a shift in North American culture towards questioning certain aspects of our lives with an increased focus on health. We have seen an increase in consumption of healthy, natural food, an increase in health food stores, an increase in exercise culture, a growing norm for women to strength train, and many more positive health movements. This, in turn, is leading the healthcare industry to develop and provide more meaningful solutions for healthier outcomes. Unfortunately, the use of OTC drugs and prescription pain relievers is all too ingrained in our population and the pharmaceutical industry is too financially strong for them to encourage a different behavior of using more natural methods.

Luckily, there is a revolution in how women consume information and how they are addressing and taking control of their overall health needs. Social media is overflowing with resources that provide pathways to healthy living, from exercise to dietary plans. However, having the information available is not enough; we need to amplify the healthy options. While there is a push towards healthier living, sometimes finding the options is a chore. This can be seen in the continued use of prescription and over-the-counter pain medication to deal with issues that could be treated with a more natural method, such as menstrual cramps.

One solution that has recently come to market has been the innovative use of kinesiology tape infused with menthol and borneol as a means for delivering topical pain and inflammation relief. Mobility Tape for Her has created a real game changer! This method of providing pain relief has been packaged in a cream for years (think Deep Heat). Although effective, topicals tend to wear off quickly, smell excessively or be easily spread through touch to your eyes after application. For the first time there is a solution using an adhesive tape with a slow-release exfoliating adhesive allowing for the natural oils to be delivered for up to 60 hours continuously. A simple advancement like this is what is needed within the healthcare industry as a whole. Targeted solutions, like a kin tape that allow women to stick it and forget it, provide an environment for easy adoption. This application can be used for menstrual cramps, muscle and joint pains, lower back pain, headaches and migraines, in addition to other applications where the first choice would be pills. Mobility Tape For Her is determined to provide women a choice in healthcare methods and overall better healthcare outcomes going forward.

For more information you can visit mobilitytapeforher.com