Do You Suffer From Painful Period Cramps Every Month?
If you do, then you are not alone. Did you know that half of all women are affected by period pain at some time? Of course many will suffer from the symptoms of PMS too.
Although the intensity of pain and discomfort varies from woman to woman, many have to resort to pain killers for several days every month in order just to function.
That is really bad news for your health.
Excessive pain?
Please be aware that if you suffer from excessive period pain, this could be a sign of an underlying health problem such as endometriosis or an uterine infection. If the pain continues or you suffer from vomiting, excessive bleeding or a fever, you should always seek medical help.
Regular cramps and discomfort?
There are natural ways to combat these when you eat and drink.
Your diet
Calcium and magnesium. These have been found to help relax the muscles and so lessen the cramps. You can include plenty of spinach, kale and other leafy green veggies in your diet or if this is impossible, add some supplements.
Omega 3. This will help you to deal better with the pain. Instead of using a supplement, add plenty of walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds to your food. An added bonus is their manganese content which also helps alleviate pain.
Chamomile tea. Drinking a cup or two of this tea per day will help relax you and your muscles. Another added bonus - this time the boosting of your levels of the amino acid glycine, helping to ease those PMS symptoms.
Cinnamon. An easy spice to add to your food in many different ways. As well as improving your digestion, cinnamon is another source of manganese and an aid for those cramps.
Papaya. This delicious tropical fruit is so easy to eat and enjoy and is rich in carotene, vitamins A and C as well as the enzyme papain to ease the flow during those trying days of your period.
Filtered, chlorine- and fluoride-free water. Keep away from alcohol (which can prolong discomfort) during this time and stick to plenty of fresh warm water to increase blood flow to the skin and relax cramps. At the same time, do your best to avoid junk foods. Those junk foods with processed salt will make you feel bloated while sugar and trans fats will increase estrogen levels. Instead reach for high fiber food choices as these will help boost digestion too.
There are other natural ways to help those period pains go away
While you may feel more like curling up on the sofa with a heating pad or hot water bottle to give you comfort and relief, it is actually worthwhile taking exercise to release those important pain-killing endorphins. Stretch your abdominal muscles and ease the discomfort with some aerobic exercise or a few lengths swimming in the pool.
Another good exercise is yoga which will relax the body, get the blood pumping and ease the cramping muscles. Forward bends are especially good but forget about inversions at this time.
And finally - and possibly the most beneficial of all natural remedies - increasing your vitamin D levels. It is well documented that the majority of those in the western world today are deficient. Ideally, the levels should be at least 50 ng/ml to significantly decrease the severity of period pain and cramps. Optimize your levels either by safe sun exposure or oral supplementation. We tell you how here.
Change your diet and your lifestyle during those difficult days of the month for a more natural way to alleviate period pain and avoid over-the-counter or prescription medications with their unwanted side effects.
Sources
Bavil DA, et al. (2016). Comparison of lifestyles of young women with and without primary dysmenorrhea.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4844476/. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).
Dehnavi ZM, et al. (2018). The effect of aerobic exercise on primary dysmenorrhea: A clinical trial study.
jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2018;volume=7;issue=1;spage=3;epage=3;aulast=Dehnavi. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).
Geddes L. (2015). The mystery of the female orgasm.
bbc.com/future/story/20150625-the-mystery-of-the-female-orgasm. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).
How do I choose and use essential oils? (n.d.).
takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214933/. (Accessed, 7 October 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.