10 Easy Ways to Deal with Menstrual Pain

Last Updated on August 18th, 2020

Every month, we ladies go through 2-3 days full of unbearable menstrual pain and worst part is no matter how badly we want, we cannot avoid it. But we can surely reduce the pain. Here are the ways which I find very helpful during my periods.

1. Stay hydrated:

   Drinking lots of water prevents bloating which is both uncomfortable and painful. Though the hot/warm water is preferred as it increases blood flow to your skin and helps cramped muscles, you can go for fresh water as well. Try adding some mint leaves, orange slices or any other fruit you like to make it tasty. Vitamin C and calcium helps in reducing cramps. There are many recipes available on you tube for Detox water that are worth a try. Below is the one I have on regular basis:

   1. Take one jug of water and add few cucumber slices to it.
   2. Put in some mint leaves and a slice of lemon.
   3. Shake it well and its ready to drink after few minutes.

      

2. Ginger:

   It works like an anti-inflammatory pain killer. So instead of taking medicines to combat menstrual pain, use ginger which is 100% safe and don’e have any side effects. You can add it to your hot water/tea/soup or your detox drinks. Avoid having tea so best go for soup or other drinks. You can add ginger in your curries as well. And of course, you can always find new recipes to try on google.

3. Hot water bottle:

   Well everybody knows this one, placing a heating pad on lower abdomen gives a great relief from muscular pain. It increases circulation and blood flow to the uterus, which reduces the menstrual pain. We all have seen our elders (mostly grandparents) using a pink colored hot water bottle when they had any body part aching. But nowadays there are many other variants available in market. Gel pad is one of them. Just plug it in, it will take few seconds to heat up and you are good to go. No tension of spilling or getting burnt. You can easily enjoy other thing while getting relief from pain. On my first day of period I prefer working from home with this heating pad on me rather than going to office and being in pain for the whole day.

   

4. Magnesium intake:

   It may also help in reducing symptoms of PMS. Almonds, spinach, cashews and peanuts are among best sources of Magnesium. Carry a small box of these with you to wherever you go. But it might react with other medicines, so do talk to your doctor before increasing its consumption during periods. 

5. Skip caffeine:

   Many women find it helpful when it comes to relieving abdominal pain during periods. If you are used to having tea/coffee multiple times a day then try reducing it slowly as directly going to zero may have negative symptoms.

6. Smoothies for menstrual pain:

   These can really help in lowering the menstrual pain. since you should avoid caffeine you can try different smoothies during these days. And you can add ginger to these! Yay! You can make it with any fruit or even vegetable of your choice. Banana is rich in Vitamin D and potassium which also help with cramp. Here is the recipe to banana kiwi smoothie which I love to drink:

   1. Take half glass of orange juice (remember Vitamin C can help) and pour it in a blender jar.
   2. Add cut kiwi and banana pieces to it and blend it well.
   3. You can put mint leaves and honey on the top if you like.

      

7. Exercise/Yoga:

   Though it sounds a little uneasy to exercise during periods but trust me once you start doing it you will notice the change. Light walking/running and cardio will surely help in decreasing menstrual pain in long run. I personally find following yoga poses helpful:

   1. Child’s pose: It helps in easing out the back pain. Place a pillow below your abdomen to hold the pose for longer time.

      

   2. Cat/cow pose: It targets both back and abdominal pain. It stretches muscles and helps in toning as well.

      

   3. Savasana: Lying down and concentrating on your breathe, takes away focus from all the pain you were feeling.

      

8. Soothing bath:

   A warm bath may be just the thing you need to soothe pain and relax tense muscles during periods. I can understand that on first 2 days of periods nobody wants to leave the bed and do anything. But this can really help with cramps (menstrual pain) and mood. Accept it or not, we all feel a little irritated with everything during those days, so play some good music and enjoy a long bath. This will definitely cheer you up. Avoid bathing with cold water even if weather is hot, use a little warm water during these days for normal bath as well.

9. Dark chocolate:

   We all crave for sugary things during periods, but excess sugar is a big NO. Cocoa is a great source of flavonoids (a special class of antioxidants) which reduces pain. Eat dark chocolates as they have lower sugar than milk and white chocolates. My favorite are Lindt dark chocolates. Also, avoid eating too salty products like potato chips. I know its difficult to resist chips but few minutes of taste can cause long lasting pain, so, choose wisely!

   

10. Good sleep:

    Having adequate sleep is very much required during periods. Avoid too much of TV, laptop or mobile screens to get a sound sleep. Try managing your sleep pattern few days before periods so that your body is used to sleep at the same time without causing any problem to you. Different positions might help you to sleep better so monitor that as well. Which position makes you sleep comfortably and reduce menstrual pain.

Also, go through following article which might help you with other menstrual problems.

8 Best Home Remedies For Irregular Periods, Natural Ways

Do let us know if you find this article helpful.

Stay healthy! Keep Smiling!

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Dr. Amanda

Amanda is a certified nutritionist and fitness yoga trainer, and writer in the areas of health, fitness and nutrition.

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