How can I relieve period pain?

Many women have a foreboding when they are expecting their period, as they anticipate that crampy feeling in the lower part of their tummy. Most women get this for 2 to 3 days of their menstrual bleeding, but it may last longer, or start in the days leading up to a period. It particularly affects those in their teens or 20s.

Thankfully for most, this is mild, but for some it can be debilitating, causing them to miss school, college or work, and becoming a feared monthly event in their calendar.

When causing significant distress or impact on your life, doctors call this dysmenorrhoea, and many women suffer in silence. But it’s not something you need to put up with, just as part of being a woman. There are things to help to avoid this ruling your life. Let’s take you through what’s behind period pain, and suggest some tested techniques and remedies.

Simply put, a period occurs as a result of the lining of the womb (uterus) breaking down – every month it prepares the womb for a potential pregnancy, making the lining thicker and increasing blood supply. It’s thought that this constant tissue generation, breakdown and renewal process keeps the womb environment free from any build-up of bacteria, making it a sterile environment to keep you and any future babies healthy.

You will experience contractions as the womb starts to shed the thick lining, cutting off the blood supply so the tissue comes away. The contractions are what we call period pains and the shedding is menstrual bleeding. Prostaglandins help this shedding process – these are hormones that have a hand in inflammation and bleeding, helping tissue to repair. But too many prostaglandins are thought to increase period pain. And it’s not known why some women produce more prostaglandins than others, but it’s thought to have a genetic component (ask your mother or grandmother).

Understanding the science behind the problem helps us pick the right treatment. Ibuprofen and others in the family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin can be an excellent choice, as they specifically target and block prostaglandins. Taken orally as tablets or liquid, they can transform your period pain to allow you to get on with your day.

What about a gel?

Ibuprofen gel is less likely to work, as the problem lies with the lining of the womb (uterus), so topical treatment to the skin may not reach this deep into the tissue.

When should I start an NSAID?

Prostaglandins can accumulate in the days leading up to menstrual bleeding, so it’s a good preventative measure to start ibuprofen a couple of days before you expect your period, and block this build-up. A diary or app can help you keep track of your next period so you can pre-empt symptoms.

Who should avoid NSAIDs?

You should avoid NSAIDs if you’ve had stomach ulcers or an allergy, you have NSAID-sensitive asthma, or if you have long-term kidney disease. You should avoid aspirin if you are under 16.

In this case, or if your period pain is very mild, paracetamol may be the best option for you. It’s a mild painkiller, it’s considered safe and tolerated well, and if that does the trick, then that’s all you need.

If period pains are all-consuming, you’ll want to have a few remedies to hand, and these tried and tested techniques can work alone or alongside medication.

Ease the muscles causing contractions is a good place to start. Try heat packs over the lower abdomen – a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, for example, or a warm bath. If you need to get to work or school, a heat patch under your clothes can be a convenient and effective method to soothe, or you can try specific creams or balms that act to warm the area.

A TENS machine (transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation) may help to reduce pain. It works by delivering a mild electric current to your tummy and can also be effective for any associated back pain. It’s most associated with relieving the pain of contractions in childbirth, which suggests how effective it can be.

Simple exercises to gently move the pelvis around can be very soothing. One suggested move to lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, and gently create a bridge by lifting your pelvis up and down in slow movements. Another exercise is to lie on your back, bend your knees to your chest, and move them gently in circles with your hands. This will also help if pain has spread from the tummy to the lower back and thighs.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of the mind when it comes to pain relief.

Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness, meditation or gentle yoga may help to distract from the discomfort, calm the mind, and prevent stress and anxiety building up in relation to period pain.

Give up smoking – if you need any other reason to take this step to look after your health, there’s evidence that smokers may suffer worse period pains than non-smokers, and one Australian study suggested that the severity of period pains correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Ginger tea has good anecdotal evidence that it eases pain and inflammation for all sorts of ailments, including period pain, and it can feel comforting to hold a warm cup when you’re not feeling your best.

Vitamin and mineral supplements: a comprehensive review of trials of so-called micronutrients (vitamins K, D, B1, and E, and calcium, magnesium, zinc sulfate and boron), found that vitamins D and E signfiicantly reduced dysmenorrhoea, compared to placebo, but the Journal of Caring Sciences concluded that more research was needed to confirm safety and effectiveness. Anecdotally, many women believe magnesium taken daily helps reduce severity of their period pains.

Eating an antioxidant-rich diet may help to reduce inflammation and hence crampy pain – this includes lots of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. To date, the direct effect on alleviating dysmenorrhoea remains a theory and there’s no evidence to support this, but a plant-based diet with lots of varied and colourful food stuffs would always get our vote here at Healthwords, to keep you healthy.