Many women experience menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea, every month during the first few days of their period.They feel discomfort in and around their abdomen and lower back for one to two days. During the menstrual period, the muscles in a woman’s womb contract and relax to extract blood out through the cervix. Some women may experience headaches, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Cramps are not normally a sign of a serious health condition, but they can keep women from pursuing their daily activities.
What helps period cramps?
Here are the safe and effective ways to help reduce the pain caused by menstrual cramps:
1. Proper Diet, Hydration, and Supplements
Reduce sugar and processed foods intake, and increase your intake of vegetables to help ease monthly cramps. Try to avoid fatty and salty foods, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks during menstruation because they cause water retention and bloating which makes the symptoms of cramps worse. Drinking water can also help ease bloating. Avoiding anything that causes bloating is what helps period cramps lessen.Magnesium helps ease pain and can be found in many foods such as almonds and spinach and in supplements. Studies show that magnesium is an effective treatment for menstrual cramps.Vitamin B1 and fish oil supplements help relieve pain brought on by cramps. According to research those who take Vitamin B1 and fish oil supplements experience significantly less pain for a shorter period of time.
2. Exercise
Endorphins from exercise help boost your mood and relieve menstrual pain. Aerobic exercise, stretching, yoga, cycling, walking, and swimming can all help reduce the pain. These exercises boost your blood circulation, which allows the smooth pumping of blood throughout the body. Endorphins help you combat pain by interacting with your brain’s neutron receptors to block pain signals.
3. Use Solio STOP
The most natural way to relieve menstrual cramps is by placing a heated pad on your abdomen and your lower back. The heat is what helps cramps dissipate, relieving the pain. You can also take a warm bath or use a hot towel instead of a heating pad.Silk’n STOP is an enhanced and improved version of a heating pad. The device utilizes heat energy technology that removed pain by treating the source of the pain, speeding up the healing process, and increasing blood circulation. The heat from the device is able to reach deep down to the soft tissues to increase the circulation of blood and cure the pain.
4. Massage your abdomen with essential oils
Certain essential oils are proven effective in reducing pain from menstrual cramps. You can use lavender oil, marjoram essential oil, clary sage essential oil, or a combination of these diluted essential oils and massage them onto your abdomen.