Avoiding Period Pain
Period or menstrual cycle is a gift (YES?), However, it is accompanied by some difficulties, like mood changes, feeling tired, irritability, bloating and cramps.
All symptoms often resolve around the start of bleeding, but pain may last for a day or two.
Cause
Cramps (period pain) are normal and occur when uterus muscles contract, causing uterus lining to pass away from your body as menstrual flow.
How to get ready?
You should be ready for these changes; off course comes first, using MyDays App to mark your calendar so that you are in control and they won’t disturb your schedule, then, there are various non-drug remedies to beat period cramps:
Exercise: How does exercise help? The first side is that exercise increases blood flow to the muscles which helps relieve the cramps, the other side is that exercise releases endorphins which interact with your brain and reduce your perception of pain, and also reduce stress. Considering women tiredness and mood state during menstruation time, thus, low-intensity exercises are highly recommended, such as walking, cycling, swimming, Zumba… whatever makes heartbeat up moderately.
Yoga poses: Yoga has proven to eliminate pain and discomfort during menstruation; You may have already done this without knowing it’s a yoga pose, come to see other helpful poses your body didn’t discover yet:
Child’s Pose
Knees to Chest
Supine Twist
Forward Fold
Eat Magnesium-Rich Food: Magnesium is the mineral that’s often associated with easing cramps, foods which contains magnesium:
- Green leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach and kale)
- Fruit (figs, avocado, banana, and raspberries)
- Nuts and seeds.
- Legumes (black beans, chickpeas and, kidney beans)
- Vegetables (peas, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts)
- Seafood (salmon, mackerel, tuna)
- Dark Chocolate
Heat: Heating pad help to relax the myometrium, reducing constriction of blood vessels and improving blood flow to the uterus. Even a hot water bottle or hot shower will do the job.
Some DON’TS:
- Cut down the intake of salt, sweet and spicy foods. So skip the potato chips calling your name.
- Skip the Caffeine. Say No to Joe… Instead, you can try lemonade and herbal tea.
- Avoid taking painkillers on an empty stomach. Take pain relievers only after food.
SO, you are strong, positive and in-control, but if you lost sometimes, no problem, for no pain, no gain. You will pass it and enjoy the renewed version of you.
January 22, 2019 @ 12:24 am
I have been told so many years that PMS and period pains were normal. I accepted it and tried different methods to make my life more comfortable around that period until I visited a chinese doctor who told me that PMS and period pains, cramps, etc. are NOT NORMAL!! Indeed they reveal imbalance in the body. After taking some chinese herbs formula only, no acupuncture, I’m glad to tell that it’s possible to have NO PAIN, NO CRAMPS, NO PMS, NO CLOTS, etc… and that should be the norm.
January 25, 2020 @ 12:34 pm
Name the herbs cause i hurt really really really badly
January 28, 2020 @ 12:09 pm
What Chinese herbs were those? I have been to a Mayan doctor because I’m only holistic and told the same thing. The exact same thing. They said it’s hormonal imbalances. What did you take?
April 18, 2020 @ 9:24 am
I would love some more information
January 12, 2019 @ 2:57 am
This is really helpful! I do know that the child’s pose works really well. Even when I’m not on my period it’s REALLY comfortable
June 26, 2018 @ 8:31 pm
Wow! I loved this article!! Very interesting read. I will definitely be using some of these tips. I did notice the other day how good the hot shower was to my cramps, then realized I was in there for almost an hour because it calmed the monster (cramps) down!