Prickly Chaff Flower (Achyranthes aspera) has a long history of use in traditional systems of medicine, particularly in Ayurveda and other South Asian folk medicines, for addressing menstrual irregularities. Traditional healers have used various parts of the plant, especially the roots and seeds, as emmenagogues to stimulate or regulate menstrual flow. These applications are documented in classical Ayurvedic texts and ethnobotanical surveys. The mechanisms proposed in traditional contexts often involve the plant's presumed ability to balance bodily "humors" or its general "uterine tonic" effects.

Scientifically, there is limited research validating these uses. A few animal studies have explored the plant's effects on the reproductive system, suggesting possible hormonal or uterotonic activity, but robust human clinical trials are lacking. The phytochemical constituents—such as saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids—may have some biological activity, but the evidence is mostly preclinical. Thus, its use for menstrual irregularity is supported primarily by traditional knowledge, with only weak preliminary evidence from modern scientific studies.