Apply A Warm Heating Pad To The Area That Is Cramping
One study found that using a heat patch provided more relief for menstrual pain when compared with topical medication or acetaminophen. This study was actually six studies in one, and determined that women with primary dysmenorrhea were more likely to decrease their menstrual pain when applying heat.
Perform Hip Pain Stretches Before Every Workout
Our post 10 Common Causes Of Hip Pain From Running shows six hip stretching routines you can try before each workout. It also gives advice on:
- Foam rolling
- Cross-training
- Self-massage
Other options for more structured hip stretches include yoga and Pilates. These workouts have the double benefit of strengthening your core, too.
If these at-home remedies for your hip pain havent helped, talk to your doctor about the following suggestions. Treating your hip pain with non-invasive, small lifestyle changes is always preferred. But if those dont work, there are treatments that can relieve your pain. Pain isnt normal and its not sustainable if its severely affecting the rest your body needs.
Vitamin D For A Sunnier Outlook
Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin for calcium absorption as well as bone health. In fact, emerging research suggests that it may be just as important as calcium itself. Unfortunately, many American adults and teens simply don’t get enough of it.
Having inadequate blood levels of vitamin D is common among women who suffer from PMS. A 2005 study measured the risk of developing PMS symptoms alongside levels of calcium and vitamin D. Results from that study indicated a connection, and suggest that a high intake of vitamin D and calcium can reduce the risk of developing PMS.
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The Best Yoga Poses For Menstrual Cramps
Experiencing painful menstrual cramps can leave you desperate for a solution. Doing something physical, such as yoga, may feel like the last thing you want to do.
However, some yoga positions are so effective at relieving menstrual pain that once you attempt them, they will probably become a part of your pain management routine!
The providers at Moreland OB-GYN encourage patients to give yoga a try. Exercise, in general, is a great way to ease the pain caused by your periodand yoga is one of the best options!
A Sprinkle Of Cinnamon
In a study of young women, those who took capsules containing 420 milligrams of cinnamon 3 times a day for the first 3 days of their menstrual cycle had less menstrual bleeding, less pain, and reductions in nausea and frequency of vomiting compared to those who took a placebo. The women didn’t report any side effects associated with taking cinnamon pills. Try a sprinkle of cinnamon on your cereal or cup of hot cocoa. It can’t hurt and it might help your cramps and other period symptoms.
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What Is Are Menstrual Cramps
Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for pain with your period or menstrual cramps. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary.
Primary dysmenorrhea is the name for common menstrual cramps that come back over and over again and arent due to other diseases. Pain usually begins one or two days before you get your period or when bleeding actual starts. You may feel pain ranging from mild to severe in the lower abdomen, back or thighs.
Pain can typically last 12 to 72 hours, and you might have other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and even diarrhea. Common menstrual cramps may become less painful as you get older and may stop entirely if you have a baby.
If you have painful periods because of a disorder or an infection in your female reproductive organs, it is called secondary dysmenorrhea. Pain from secondary dysmenorrhea usually begins earlier in the menstrual cycle and lasts longer than common menstrual cramps. You usually dont have nausea, vomiting, fatigue or diarrhea.
What Causes Painful Menstrual Cramps
Menstrual cramps happen when a chemical called prostaglandin makes the uterus contract . The uterus, the muscular organ where a baby grows, contracts throughout your menstrual cycle. During menstruation, the uterus contracts more strongly. If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can press against nearby blood vessels, cutting off the supply of oxygen to muscle tissue. You feel pain when part of the muscle briefly loses its supply of oxygen.
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What Causes Anterior Hip Pain
As Ive mentioned in posts in the past, sitting is the #1 cause of low back pain, and it also causes anterior hip pain because the muscles pass through the hip and insert into the tendons that then insert into the top of the thigh bone. When you try to stand up, the tight muscle tendons will pull on your thigh bone. The other thing that happens is the point where the muscle merges into the tendon will be very tight and tender to touch. You arent having pain at your hip or thigh bone, but at the muscular point where the muscle and tendon merge.
Its a bit confusing to describe, but youll find it if you sit down and put your fingers onto the tip of your pelvis, then just slide your fingers down toward your thigh and out about 2. The point is right along the crease where your leg meets your trunk.
The muscle you are treating is the Rectus Femoris, where it merges from the tendon into the muscle fibers. Follow this link, thigh muscle, to see the muscle and it will be a bit easier to visualize.
You need to be pressing deeply into the muscle, like youre trying to press the bone and the muscle just happens to be in the way. Move your fingers around a bit and youll find it.
How To Ease Arthritis Flares During Your Period
You know your when your body is going through PMS, and likely have some go-to strategies for helping to ease symptoms. If you get bloated, you cut back on salty foods and opt for elastic-waist sweatpants instead of jeans. If you get cranky, you might do a little more yoga to reduce stress.
If you suspect that your approaching period exacerbates arthritis symptoms, here are ways to help ease flares:
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Yoga Position # : Pigeon Pose
The pigeon pose will help your hips feel more relaxed as they carry the stress of menstrual cramps. The pigeon pose will help stretch and relieve the pain felt in your hips.
First, position yourself in the upright sitting position. Bend your right knee, and extend your left leg behind you. Arch your back as you place your hands on your hips. A more intense stretch can be achieved if you reach your arms over your head and bring your hands together.
Position yourself on all fours. Bring your right knee forward towards your right wrist, and extend your right ankle so it is in line with your left hip. Slowly slide your leg back. For balance and depending on your flexibility, you may need to keep your hands positioned on the ground.
As your leg extends back, you will feel the stretching of your left hip and you may also feel stretching along your right side, but it shouldn’t be painful. If it is painful, you may need to modify the pose.
Hold this pose for several breaths before returning to the center and repeating the pose with your right leg outstretched behind you and your left knee bent. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Adapt The Corpse Position
The corpse position is extremely beneficial for back and neck pain, but its not the best for menstrual pain. You just dont quite get the pull on the uterus muscles.
What you want to do is slightly adapt that corpse position to support the muscles around your stomach and groin area. This is what this position is perfect for.
Start by sitting up with your legs crossed. Slowly lay backward, keeping your legs crossed. You will feel the pull in your thighs as you lower yourself to a laying down position.
Place your arms straight down to the side of your hips and remain in this position for at least a minute. Just feel the stretch in your spine and groin area and allow yourself to relax into this yoga position.
You get the release of the happy and painkilling hormones. At the same time, your muscles get the message to relax, which means no more contractions around the uterus.
If you find it hard to lay all the way to the floor, opt for some support to keep your upper body slightly upright. You still get some of the pull, without actually using the stomach muscles to keep you in a slight crunch position.
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Q What Are The General Hygiene Measures To Take During Menstruation
A. Hygiene is very important when on your period. The basic things to follow during these days are – bathe every day and use the right products for vaginal cleaning. Use warm water with soap or an intimate wash to clean the area properly. The vaginal area is sensitive and needs to be taken care of when on your cycle. Change your sanitary napkin every three to four hours to avoid an infection or a period rash. Always be ready with an on-the-go kit in case of an emergency, and make sure you discard your sanitary napkin properly.
Talk To Your Doctor About Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation is another procedure that has helped some patients. It disrupts the nerves from sending painful signals. This is done with the use of heat to impair or destroy the nerves that are causing pain.
Again, radiofrequency ablation is minimally-invasive. Its a safe procedure for many who are suffering from hip pain. Since pain relief isnt permanent, its best done in combination with physical therapy to resolve the underlying cause of your pain. You can watch a radiofrequency ablation procedure in the following video.
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Exercises To Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Gentle stretching of the lower back or abdominal muscles helps relieve menstrual cramps and improve blood flow throughout the body. Moving your body allows the lymph to circulate and may reduce bloating. In addition, exercise can improve your mood. This is because exercise releases endorphins, which can help reduce the perception of pain and combat fatigue and exhaustion associated with your period.
If you suffer from nausea or dizziness during a heavy menstrual flow, it might be best to exercise at lower intensity levels. Light to moderate cardio, such as jogging, will get your blood flowing and heart rate elevated. The sweat released during a workout may also help remove water from your body, including the water in your stomach that you feel as part of your period bloat.
Helping regulate the menstrual cycle and flow, these exercises are designed to stretch out the tightness in your muscles to ease cramping.
Moving Towards A Gentler Cycle
Of course, the menstrual cycle is a natural part of womens health. But, when you think about it, the combination of PMS and menstrual pain can create up to two weeks of misery every month–a considerable amount of time. So if you do feel that PMS symptoms diminish your quality of life, supplementation may be a major step towards improving your overall well-being.
Strong scientific evidence suggests that the right supplementation can significantly reduce both PMS and painful menstrual symptoms. In addition to other improvements to your diet and lifestyle, a personalized supplement regimen can be an important component of a wellness approach that helps you feel great all month long.
If you are interested in taking supplements, you should consult with your healthcare provider, or take an online lifestyle assessment.
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Do Gentle Exercise Such As Yoga Stretching Or Walking
A 1997 study examined the relationship between exercise participation and menstrual pain, physical symptoms, and negative mood.
The study made 21 sedentary women and 20 women who participated in regular exercise complete a modified version of the Prospective Record of the Impact and Severity of Menstrual Symptoms calendar for two complete menstrual cycles. Researchers found that the women who exercised regularly experienced less pain during their menstrual cycle.
An older study from 1984 looked at the relationship between exercise and endorphins. This study found that when exercising, the endogenous opioids are released and cause several physiological and physiological changes, including pain perception and quelling of “menstrual disturbances in female athletes.”
Standing Hamstring Stretch On Chair
- Begin in a standing upright position with a chair or step in front of your body.
- Lift one leg to rest your heel on the chair with a very slight bend in your knee.
- Bend at your hips, leaning your trunk forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your upper leg
- Keep your back straight during the stretch.
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Can Oral Contraceptive Pills Ease Arthritis Flares
The jury is out on this, too: Some research suggests oral contraceptives pills may ease pain and improve function in women with RA. In one study from researchers in Iran, 100 women with rheumatoid arthritis were randomized to take birth control pills or a placebo for eight weeks. Researchers measured patients tender and swollen joints, blood levels of inflammation, and self-reports of pain at the beginning and end of the study period. They found that those on the birth control pills reported improvements in disease activity compared to those taking placebo pills.
Other studies have shown conflicting results. In the survey of CreakyJoints and ArthritisPower members with inflammatory arthritis, of those who used oral contraceptive pills, 70 percent of the women did not report changes, fewer than 10 percent reported improvement, and slightly more than 10 percent reported worsening of symptoms.
Talk to your rheumatologist to determine the risks and benefits and if OCPs are right for you.
Try Out Tens Unit Technology
A TENS unit device sends stimulation to your nerves to relieve pain. It does this through placing electrode-containing pads on your skin above those nerves. This treatment is non-invasive and has only mild reported side effects. TENS units work best for patients with osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or pain caused by surgery.
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Easy Treatment For Anterior Hip Pain After Sitting
Here is an easy treatment for hip pain after sitting you can administer yourself. First, sit as I am, with your leg out and slightly turned.
Find the tender point with your fingers and then put your elbow into it as shown.
Its important to have your arm opened so the point of your elbow is on top of the spasm. Its a bit tricky, but if you move about a bit youll come on to it, and it will hurt. Keep the pressure so its tolerable, not excruciating.
After you have worked on this point for a few minutes you can move to the second part of the treatment.
Put the heel of your same-side hand onto your thigh as close to the spasm as you can get. Lift up your fingers so the pressure is only on the heel of your hand. You can use your opposite hand to help give more pressure.
Press down hard and deeply slide down the muscle, going toward your knee. You can also kneed it like you would kneed bread dough, really forcing the muscle fibers to relax.
Im putting in a picture from a previous blog to explain how you can also treat this point of your rectus femoris by using a ball on the floor.
As shown in this picture, lie on the floor with the ball on your hip muscle, and then slightly turn your body toward the floor so the ball rolls toward the front of your body. You may need to move the ball down an inch or so to get to your Rectus Femoris.
It may be a challenge to find this point, but its well-worth the effort!
Wishing you well,
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