Lifestyle Changes To Treat Period Cramps
Making proper lifestyle changes can help lessen the pain associated with menstrual cramps. Adding diet and exercise to your daily routine is one of the best ways to alleviate pain and stress that comes with your monthly cycle.
Lets take a look at some of the best ways to incorporate lifestyle changes into your routine so that youll be able to get through your period with reduced cramping.
Do You Need To See A Doctor
If your menstrual cramps are unusual or severe, or if they last more than a few days, you may want to see your doctor. Painful period cramping is treatable, so anytime you’re worried about your symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor.
Your doctor may perform a pelvic exam to make sure everything is normal. They may also ask you questions about your menstrual period history, suggest lifestyle modifications, or even recommend and prescribe medicines that may help relieve your painful periods.
What Are Period Cramps
Most women have experienced dysmenorrhea, or period cramps, at some time. It tends to happen just before and during the menstrual cycle. What does it feel like to have period cramps? Its often described as a cramping or constant ache in the lower belly and lower back back. The intensity varies some women dont experience cramps or theyre very mild, while for other women, it can be painful enough that normal day-to-day activities are affected.
What causes period cramps? During menstruation, the uterus contracts as it gets rid of the lining thats what the blood is. The contractions are what cause the cramping. Thats normal cramping, anyway. Other conditions, like endometriosis and adenomyosis, can also trigger period cramps.
What relieves period cramps fast? This also depends on the woman. Over-the-counter medications can help, as can birth control pills . Warm compresses applied directly on the abdomen can help. But ultimately, many women just wind up grimacing and bearing the pain each month.
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When Should I Talk To My Ob
Since each womans body is unique, it can be difficult to tell whether the cramps youve grown used to are actually chronic. Use these common symptoms of chronic, severe menstrual cramps as a guideline to decide if its time to talk to an OB-GYN about your cramps.
- Your cramps interfere with your daily life
- The cramps last longer than two days
- No or minimal relief from over-the-counter pain medication
- You have cramps outside of your period
- You notice a change in how your cramps feel over time
Can I Go Upside Down Or Do An Inversion On My Period
It depends, according to Agénor.
Inversions can actually help improve blood flow throughout the body and to the uterus. However, if someone is already experiencing pain or instability in the low back and pelvis, inversions are not recommended.
A exercise is legs up against the wall with a pillow underneath the low back, Agénor says. If thats still too much, lying on your back with a bolster propped up underneath your legs can be an even gentler alternative.
Traditional yogic wisdom recommends against inversions during your period, because it reverses the bodys downward flow of expelling uterine tissue from the body.
Still, scientific research doesnt indicate that inversions during your period are harmful.
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How To Read A Nutrition Label
1. The nutrients listed on the label are based on one serving size. Often serving sizes are smaller than youd think. So, its a good idea to measure.
2. Calories are a unit of measurement that tells us the amount of energy in one serving. Your body uses calories for energy and to be active. Everybody uses a different number of calories. To control your weight, the goal is to balance what you eat with the amount of energy you need.
3. All nutrients are shown as a percent of the daily value. The daily values are reference amounts for how much of the nutrients you should consume or not exceed each day. Depending on the nutrient, daily value is shown in grams , milligrams or micrograms .
4. Limit foods with high amounts of the items in red. Look for fewer than 2g of saturated fat, less than 250mg of sodium and little to no added sugar.
5. Try to eat foods with more of the items in green. These include dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
6. Read and rate the ingredients. In general, products that have fewer ingredients and ones you can pronounce — are less processed and better for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Does this food contain more than five ingredients?
- Does it contain unhealthy fats like coconut oil?
- Does it include whole grains like oats, barley and wheat flour? If so, are they near the top of the ingredient list?
- Do you know what the ingredients are?
Eat A Healthy Diet And Exercise For Pain
Diet and exercise are natural remedies that can be implemented to reduce or even prevent menstrual pain. There are great options for individuals who are less inclined to take medication.
Regular exercise releases serotonin and endorphins that act as happy hormones. These hormones can help off-set menstrual cramping, pain, and mood disturbance. Serotonin and endorphins released during regular exercise can lessen period pain.
Additionally, a diet of omega-3 fatty acids may further decrease the likelihood of period symptoms. Maintaining a diet of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, fish, and other omega-3 fatty acids as well as consuming iron and protein-rich food will all assist in minimizing and preventing pain caused by the menstrual cycle. Dietary supplements can also help provide key nutrients.
Staying hydrated can also help with period pain because it can reduce bloating. Exercising, keeping a healthy diet and drinking water can prevent period pain! Aim for 8 glasses of water a day.
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that is necessary for bone density, blood clotting, muscle contraction, and heart functioning. Consuming more foods with calcium during your period may help with mood, concentration, behavior symptoms, pain, and decrease water retention. Calcium-heavy foods include:
- Sardines and/ or canned salmon
- Beans and lentils
Water
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Birth Control Pills May Lessen Painful Cramping Too
While not exactly a home remedy, birth control pills and hormonal intrauterine devices are potential tools in your anticramping arsenal and should not be overlooked, Thielen says.
Consider cramp relief a benefit to some types of contraception. Many women find relief from painful cramps when they start the pill, Thielen says. Hormonal birth control typically lessens the amount of bleeding, and less bleeding can translate into fewer cramps, she says.
When To Contact A Doctor
A person may wish to speak with a doctor if home remedies do not help reduce cramps or if they are experiencing very severe cramping.
A doctor can suggest other home remedies to try or prescribe medications, such as birth control pills or some types of pain reliever, to manage the symptoms.
Other symptoms that may warrant contacting a doctor include:
- cramps that get worse over time or with age
- severe pain or discomfort
- cramps that interfere with daily life
These symptoms may indicate an underlying condition, for which a doctor will be able to suggest an effective treatment.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about home remedies for menstrual cramps.
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Other Home Remedies For Menstrual Cramps
There are several things you can do at home before seeing a doctor to get your menstrual cramps under control and take your life back. Today well go over a few traditional methods, along with a couple alternative ways to reduce pain associated with cramps.
- Over the counter medicine. Taking anti-inflammatory pills or medication designed to reduce pain such as Ibuprofen , Aspirin , or Naproxen can combat your PMS symptoms.
- Apply heat. Heat works in several ways to reduce your pain. It relieves muscle tension and relaxes your entire body. Take a long, hot bath, or apply a heating pad/patch to your lower abdomen for optimal results. Many experts agree that heat may be just as effective for treatment of cramps as over the counter medication.
- Elevate legs. Lay on your back or side with a pillow supporting and elevating your legs from the knee up.
- Try pads instead of tampons. During the most painful times of your menstrual period, you may want to consider using a pad as opposed to a tampon to prevent additional pressure.
- Acupuncture or acupressure. Many women swear by these treatments for their period cramps. Always, consult an expert when attempting alternative treatments for cramps such as these.
Its important to remember, theres no one way to treat cramps for every woman. Find the treatment that works for you and stick to it!
How Are Severe Menstrual Cramps Treated
When the usual home remedies to relieve period cramps are no match for your cramps, an OB-GYN can help you find relief from the pain. The most common treatments for severe menstrual cramps are:
- Hormonal birth control methods If your menstrual cramps are caused by a hormone imbalance, your doctor might recommend using a hormonal birth control. In addition to preventing pregnancy, taking hormonal birth control can help correct the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body, which effects the thickness of the uterine lining. Thinning the uterine lining can reduce prostaglandin and bring pain relief. Some birth control methods can cause women to skip their periods, eliminating cramps altogether.
- Prescription medication When over-the-counter medicines dont work, your doctor might prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . These medicines are much stronger than similar ones youll find over-the-counter. They can significantly reduce prostaglandins in your uterus, which might thin the uterine lining and alleviate cramps. Prescription medication is used when a woman experiences severe, chronic cramps.
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Period Pain Relief Through Movement And Exercise
Get moving! Whether its a walk around the block, an HIIT workout, or pilates, exercise can help. Exercise increases blood circulation, which can reduce cramps. Exercise is also known for lowering stress and wouldnt you have it your stress levels are directly related to the severity of your cramps.
Not feeling up for it? Even a simple stretch can help alleviate your period pain: Here are two simple moves you can try to help tackle period pain:
If you want help feeling more comfortable while exercising during your period, give our moisture-wicking period panties a try!
What If I Have Endometriosis Or Pcos
Period pain can be extremely severe if you have endometriosis or PCOS, but there are some solutions. Here are a few recommendations from Dweck that you may explore with your healthcare professional:
- surgical intervention
Agénor recommends doing meditations that involve diaphragmatic or deep belly breathing. This can be done in any position thats comfortable to you, with the goal of calming the central nervous system and decreasing pain sensitivity.
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Engage In Gentle Exercise
Although exercise might be the last thing many people feel like doing when they have cramps, it may provide pain relief.
Strenuous exercise might not be beneficial if a person is in pain, but gentle stretching, going for a walk, or doing yoga may help. Exercise also releases endorphins, which are natures natural pain relievers.
What Is Cycle Syncing
Ever feel like youre a slave to your hormones? Its not just your imagination.
According to published in the journal Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, hormone fluctuations over the monthly menstrual cycle play a crucial role in our bodys responses.
They affect our emotional status, appetite, thought processes, and so much more.
Women reported high levels of well-being and self-esteem during the middle of the cycle in the study. Increased feelings of anxiety, hostility, and depression were reported before their period.
This is where the concept of cycle syncing comes into play. Cycle syncing is a term coined and trademarked by Alisa Vitti, Functional Nutritionist, HHC, AADP.
Vitti founded the FloLiving Hormone Center, created the MyFlo app, and first described the concept in her book, WomanCode.
Nicole Negron, a functional nutritionist and womens health specialist tells us, Once women understand these monthly hormonal shifts, they can avoid becoming casualties to their hormones and begin to maximize their hormonal power.
When it comes to scientific research, there arent many studies to support cycle syncing.
Many studies are old or weak, but advocates of this practice have said it changed their lives. If youre interested in trying this process, heres how to do it right.
The days listed above are an average time span for each phase. Each person is different.
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Lets Talk About Yoga For Menstrual Cramps
Using yoga for menstrual cramps is an effective pain-relief strategy.
First, think about the areas of your body that typically experience pain from crampingyour belly, pelvis, hips, and lower back. These areas can be targeted for pain relief through certain yoga poses.
Additionally, the emotional symptoms of PMS and menstruation can also be reduced by yoga, so it can do more than treat period pain.
There are several different schools of yoga out there, and countless poses and adaptations. It can be a little overwhelming to start from scratch! Whether you have a significant amount of yoga experience or none at all, we want you to be able to use yoga to treat your menstrual cramps.
Here are a few specific yoga poses for menstrual cramps. We encourage you to give these a try!
What Food Make Cramps Worse Why You Should Give Up Dairy During Your Period
Dairy foods have been linked to many health problems, including acne, eczema, and allergies. Dairy foods also contain hormones that can disrupt your menstrual cycle and cause you to experience more cramps and heavier periods.
Some people are not aware of the risks associated with dairy products. This is why it is important to educate them on the possible side effects of consuming dairy products during their menstrual cycle. Except Yoghurt which suites some people to relieve menstrual cramp by balancing hormones.
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What Causes Cramps During Your Menstrual Cycle
Period pain is often driven by prostaglandins, hormone-like chemicals that cause uterine contraction, says Jolene Brighten, medical director at Rubus Health and author of Beyond the Pill.
Though it seems like the muscular contractions would cause the pain, its actually the prostaglandins that take you to cramp town. Typically, the more prostaglandins in your body, the worse you feel during your period.
Luckily, there are ways to minimize those body chemicals and reduce your pain, though they dont always give you the fastest relief.
Drink More Water To Reduce Bloating
Bloating can cause discomfort and make menstrual cramps worse. While it may sound counterintuitive, drinking water can reduce bloating during your period and alleviate some of the pain it causes. Also, drinking hot water can increase blood flow throughout your body and relax your muscles. This can lessen cramps caused by uterine contractions.
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Why People Do Not Report When Dealing With Menstrual Cramps
Pain during periods is a common phenomenon that affects many women. It is not just about the pain, but also about the discomfort and inconvenience that it brings. But interestingly, there are many women who report less pain during periods.
There are various reasons for this phenomenon. Some of them have to do with the menstrual cycle itself some have to do with the individuals personality or coping mechanisms, and some have to do with social factors like her relationship with her mother or her partner.
Chinese Herbs For Menstrual Cramps
Among the most common Chinese herbal remedies used to treat menstrual cramps are:
- Dang Gui Shao-Yao San, which contains angelica root and red peony root
- Xiao Yao San, which contains licorice root, ginger root, and white peony root
- Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, which contains the same ingredients as Xiao Yao San plus peony root bark and gardenia fruit
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The 11 Best Ways To Ease Period Cramps
Ugh, cramps. You know what we mean. Menstrual cramps are very common: More than half of people who have periods get them, according to the Office on Women’s Health.
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It helps to understand why you may be doubling over in discomfort: Menstrual blood itself is an irritant to your uterus, Shannon Schellhammer, MD, an ob-gyn at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer, tells LIVESTRONG.com. The result of that irritation is inflammation, which triggers uterine muscles to cramp. Therefore, menstrual cramp cures that decrease inflammation or lessen bleeding can help treat the pain.
In addition, there’s a hormonal change. Your body releases prostaglandins, hormones that help the uterus shed its lining, ob-gyn Kelly Culwell, MD, tells LIVESTRONG.com. Prostaglandins not only cause the uterus to cramp, but they also affect surrounding organs. “Prostaglandins can also affect the bowels and bladder. You may experience more intestinal cramping or diarrhea,” she says.
When it comes to getting rid of period cramps, it’s important to keep in mind that what works for one person might not work for another, Dr. Culwell says. You might find that a remedy that science shows is effective does nada for you, while a complementary therapy that doesn’t have much data behind it zaps your cramps into submission. “If you find something that works for you and it is not harmful, then go for it,” she says.