Period pain is not your friend. Whether your cramps are mild or severe, I think we can all agree they aren't comfortable. But unfortunately cramps are part of life for most women.
Disclaimer: I want to briefly share my experiences and health conditions as it will highlight the main reason I am writing this post. But please understand I'm not looking for medical advice because I only take this from a professional doctor. This entry does not contain medical advice and should not be treated as such. This entry only offers suggestions and general advice. If you have any medical concerns, see a qualified doctor! By reading on you confirm you acknowledge and understand this. This entry contains talk about menstrual cycles. If you are not comfortable with this then feel free to skip over this one. Also, I hope this helps some of you! :)
I was recently diagnosed with Polcystic Ovary Syndrome after many years of not knowing why my periods were so debilitating. It took doctors over 10 years to diagnose me but that's another story for another time.
My cramps would be so severe they would keep me in bed for days. I would vomit for hours as a result of the pain, often ending up in hospital needing injections to give extra strong pain relief as a result. Regular pain relief didn't work (I would vomit painkillers back up within minutes of taking them. Even taking them in advance never worked for me). I couldn't take combined birth control pills because I also have something called PMDD (Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and the combined pill made my symptoms much worse. Thankfully I am currently now on medication that is helping me greatly. I sincerely hope it will continue to do so.
I tried many pain relief options and found only a few that ever brought me some form of relief. Though I am undergoing new treatments, I still suffer with cramps! Which, realistically, is to be expected. These methods never took my pain away completely but anything I could do to lessen them and make them a little less bothersome was always a good thing for me.
I spent many a day researching pain relief methods for cramps and many months testing them out. I found most of the advice I stumbled upon to be either completely patronising, unrealistic or just unhelpful.
As women we are individuals and no doubt we all experience period pain differently but I think we can all agree it's not pleasant.
For me, as a sufferer of severe cramps, I felt I should compile a list of relief methods that don't involve riding a bicycle at sunset for 'gentle exercise' (seriously, who feels like doing that on their period?!) or sipping boiled pond water.
Without further delay, here's some methods that actually helped me. If you suffer horribly like I do then they won't take the pain away completely but most of them should make some kind of difference at the very least!
What? Is this an antenatal class? No, but trust me, deep breathing WILL help. The problem with cramps is they're partly a result of the oxygen supply to the womb being temporarily cut off. This is essentially one of the reasons cramps are so painful. Deep breathing can ease this. But you need to breathe as slowly and as deeply as you can! Inhale for at least 10 seconds through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat as many times as necessary. Even with my most agonising, debilitating pain I found breathing brought some form of relief so I honestly feel this one is definitely one of the best methods and worth a try.
Consuming hot tea and hot/warm foods that are easy on the stomach (porridge, mashed potato, soup, etc) helped to comfort me and the heat from such foods/drinks usually helped ease my pain temporarily. Warm or hot drinks help because they increase blood flow which can relax the contractions in the uterus. Diet's not a miracle solution so this may work for you, it may not. No harm in trying, right?
At the very least, stay hydrated. Being dehydrated will make your body stressed out and your pain feel worse!
The pain can radiate throughout your whole body so depending on where your pain is focused will depend on whereabouts you massage. Many women get pain in their lower abdomen or lower back area. You can use warm hands or warm massage oil (make sure it's a skin safe body oil) to either massage the areas gently yourself or if you have a willing partner, then ask if they'd be willing to help. The heat from the warm oil or just the massage itself can help ease tension and pain. I personally find that going in a gentle circular motion is a really nice way of soothing my cramps. Massage helps with blood flow so this is a great way of relaxing and soothing your pain.
Lavender is known for its relaxing properties and actually, this scent always helped me personally feel more at ease. Try a lavender scented heat pack to ease pain and create a relaxing fragrance. Another option is to use scented candles/incense. Lighting candles and dimming the lights always make me feel SO zen.
It isn't always possible to take yourself off somewhere quiet to light some candles and lay down, I get it. Life happens. But it's still important to take time to relax yourself mentally. Getting emotionally worked up and stressed out will only make your pain worse. Muscle contractions don't respond well to stress, believe me!
How do you relax yourself? Give yourself a break. If you have a problem and you can not fix it immediately then be accepting of this. Pressuring yourself with negative thinking will lead to far worse anxiety and panic. I understand it isn't easy to think positively but with lots of practice it can be achieved. It can most definitely improve your mood so even if you only manage it for a short time, that's still great!
Another tip is to keep a small notebook with some encouraging quotes or notes to yourself. You can customise it to suit your taste and stick in pictures of things that make you happy. The pictures can be family, friends, loved ones, your pets or anything that will help make you feel good. This can be whipped out easily on the go when you need a pick-me-up.
The world is a very noisey place and quiet time is something to be cherished when we're feeling unwell. Use your free time to create a relaxing, peaceful environment for yourself. Listen to meditative videos, music or sounds. If your lifestyle is busy, save the videos/music/sounds to your ipod or phone to listen to on the move. Youtube has PLENTY of material you can download and listen to. This can also help as a distraction method when you're in pain.
This is GENERAL advice. I am not a doctor. See a professional doctor for medical advice. Be sure to check with your doctor before taking any new medicines!
Sometimes on our periods our bodies can become out of sync. Period pain can aggravate the digestive system so it can be worth taking some form of medication to help ease symptoms.
If you suffer with an upset stomach (loose stools, trapped wind, etc) try something like Andrews Salts or Entrocalm tablets. These have worked wonderfully for me when I have suffered with mild to moderate stomach upsets.
If you're looking for something to help pain relief go with Ibuprofen. This has anti-flammatory properties which means it can work more efficiently than Paracetamol. However, if you have any form of stomach problems it's worth consulting your doctor before taking Ibuprofen because sometimes this can aggravate the stomach. It is best taken with food.
If you'd like a drug free option try Cura Heat Pads (be sure to use these OVER clothing. DO NOT attach them to your skin or they will burn you!). These are essentially like a more convenient hot water bottle as you can attach them over your underwear and they can provide relief as you go about your day.
What are your favourite ways to ease period pain? Share in the comments!
All Images either taken by myself or royalty free. This is not a sponsored post. Images are either owned by myself or 100% royalty free.
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