6 Effective Ways to Relieve Menstrual Cramps
When a female is in her menstrual cycle, her uterus contracts to flush out the uterine wall. While most women don’t feel much during their periods, a significant percentage of them experience painful cramps.
If you’re wondering what you can do about the pain, you’re not alone. Period pain is an ancient and popular topic.
Luckily, women have been going through cramps since the beginning of time, which means more than a few solutions are on the table.
Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of cramps forever.
But there are a number of effective ways to relieve the pain. Let’s jump right in.
Conventional Solutions
1. Pain Medications
The modern lifestyle affords us advanced medications for many of our health problems. Period pain isn’t an exception. Certain pain relievers can ease the intensity of cramps, so it’s fine to use pain meds that work best for you.
However, the only medications proven to have an effect on menstrual cramps are those in the NSAIDs category.
Some of the most effective NSAIDs for cramps include Advil, Aleve, and Celebrex.
If you don’t use NSAIDs, Acetaminophen is the next best option. Drugs like Tylenol and Excedrin can help.
2. Birth Control Meds
Oral birth control pills are also prescribed nowadays to ease painful cramps. They work by stabilizing hormonal changes in the body. You may have to take the pills for a while to start noticing a difference.
Other drugs that regulate hormones are also known to work for some people.
3. Surgical Procedure
For some women, menstrual cramps are so severe that they have to see a doctor. In most cases, an underlying condition is responsible.
If you suffer from conditions such as fibroids and endometriosis, you need surgery to treat the issue and ease your cramps.
However, a permanent solution to painful cramps is surgery to remove the uterus.
Alternative Solutions
1. Heat Therapy
Heat therapy is one of the most common home remedies for relieving period pain. It doesn’t work for everyone, but many women swear by it.
Generally, people prefer using therapy alongside other treatment options like medications to maximize effectiveness.
There are multiple ways to implement heat therapy. You could use a hot water bottle, a cloth dipped in warm water, a heating pad, or a hot bath. The method is supposed to relieve tension, relax muscles, and destress.
Heat therapy is a soothing alternative that may ease cramps through the mind and body relaxation.
2. Herbal Medicine
Ordinary meds are not the only therapeutic option you have. Herbal remedies have been in use for thousands of years. Many of these remedies offer a degree of relief for cramps depending on their medicinal properties.
Cannabis, for instance, has proven to be a strong medicinal herb that treats many ailments. Much like NSAIDs, cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties that may help ease cramps.
The drug is also an effective pain reliever as well as a stress reliever. For an in-depth profile of the health benefits associated with cannabis, this post will come in handy.
Other medicinal herbs that may offer relief to menstrual cramps include:
- Clary sage
- Lavender
- Ginger
- Pine bark
- Chamomile
3. Physical Activity
Staying physically active is generally beneficial on all fronts and may be able to ease period pain.
It’d help to remain active throughout your period. Exercising is recommended regardless of where you are at working out as it helps with circulation and relieves tension.
Additionally, research shows that regular exercises lower the levels of prostaglandins in the body. Prostaglandins are a hormone responsible for painful cramps, and the less amount of the hormone you have in the body, the better.
Light exercises are just as effective as intense ones. You don’t need to hit the gym; simple activities like walking, stretching, swimming, yoga, etc.
Final Thoughts
Menstrual cramps are no joke, and for some people, those few days can be extremely debilitating.
The above tips can help you get better whether you’re into conventional medicine or prefer alternatives.
A combination of both OTCs and home remedies is generally more effective for instant relief.
