Menstrual pain (Period pain) is often a nightmare for many women.
According to an analytical study, 84.1% women have experienced menstrual pain, 47,8% feels menstrual pain lowers their quality of life, 44.6% feels it affects their social life. During the period of menstrual pain, some women lose their appetite, and in severe cases, many women even have trouble falling asleep at night due to the pain.
While medications like painkillers is one possibility to reduce your pain, there are certainly other natural and perhaps better ways to help alleviate your menstrual pain. In this article, we will share useful tips and methods to help you naturally relieve your monthly pain caused by periods.
First of all, let’s see what causes menstrual pain.
Menstrual pain usually happens around the pelvis or lower abdomen area. Some women also experience other symptoms such as back pain, diarrhea, dizziness or nausea.
Pain caused by periods can generally be divided into two categories, primary or secondary menstrual pains. The cause of pain for each category is very different.
Primary menstrual pain is caused by the release of prostaglandins (a hormone like substance) from endometrial cells and the strong contraction of the uterine wall. It usually occurs 1 to 2 years after the start of the initial period. Primary menstrual pain is NOT caused by disease, and there is no related underlying condition.
On the other hand, secondary menstrual pain is caused by the diseases of peripheral organ, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, uterine fibroma or etc.
Secondary menstrual pain refers to the pain caused by pathological diseases, so it has a specific underlying cause. We will not dive too deep into this subject in this article, if you have questions with secondary menstrual pain, you should consult a doctor.
The short answer is it depends.
NHS UK have mentioned that the pain usually starts when the menstrual period begins. It usually lasts 48 to 72 hours, which is around 2 to 3 days. However, when there is heavy bleeding from periods, some women will experience pain for a longer period.
Menstrual cramps also have different pain levels. If your abdomen only has slight to moderate pain, a good solution is to get some rest or try the methods that we will mention later in this article.
However, if you experience severe condition such as vomiting, blurred vision, having trouble speaking, too painful to walk, or your abdomen pain feels like someone is kicking your stomach, you need to go to the doctor right away.
Heat therapy is an excellent way to alleviate your menstrual pain. Experiments have proven that some physiotherapy treatment may relieve menstrual pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Therefore, buying a heating pad or heating cushion and apply heat to your body is a great solution.
Wellcare’s world class “electric heating pad and electric heating cushion” are products loved by our raving fans. They are made with a new technology called 4D DWF and it produces heat that is super comfortable.
The fabric is soft and smooth, we are confident that you will fall in love with it. Please read on to learn more about Wellcare's unique 4D DWF technology.
A women using Wellcare's newest innovation - a 4D DWF heating cushion
You can learn more about Wellcare’s flexible heating products here.
Now, let’s take a look and see how heat therapy works.
Because heat therapy increases blood flow and relaxes muscles, it has been regarded as one of the best ways to relieve menstrual pain.
The research from Australian physiotherapy association showed that heat can significantly reduce the pain of menstrual. According to the research, “Among women who sought treatment, 58% of women had physiotherapy management with primarily heat treatment”.
Have you ever experienced the heat that is too dry or too stuffy? If so, moist heat is the best way to solve this problem.
Moisturized heat gives us a smoothing feeling to relieve the pain. Nowadays, people can find moist heat in hot bath, hot water, or a Wellcare heating cushion.
United State's National Center for Biotechnology Information even conducted a research to see if moist heat is truly better than dry heat. The result is shocking, it showed moist heat took less than 25% of the time to achieve a soothing effect.
We now know how important moist heat is, so it would be perfect if there is a heating cushion that can generate moist heat and keep your abdominals warm. It will make your muscles less tense, help you stay comfortable and relax your mind.
This is where Wellcare’s brand new 5th generation heating pad and heating cushions comes to the rescue!
Wellcare’s 5th generation heating products uses an unique technology called 4D DWF. It is an innovation that brings even better warmth and comfort to the world. By using this technology, all of our heating products can transmit heat by utilizing uninterrupted dynamic warmth flow circulation. The heat is warm but moist, which is exactly what you need to better relieve your body.
If you have been suffering menstrual pain for a long time, you should consider heat therapy. Moist heat helps, therefore, Wellcare’s heating pad is a great choice to help you relax tense muscles.
If you are interested in learning more about Wellcare’s heating cushion, here are 5 ways to effectively use a heating cushion.
Bathing can increase blood circulation in the pelvic area, stimulate cell movement, and relax the muscles; furthermore, bathing gives you a chance to escape from pressure and provide a good rest. When bathing, just remember the soaking time should not be too long.
It might sound cliché, but drinking water can really help keep your digestive system going, which is helpful for relieve menstrual pain. If you like tea better than water, peppermint tea is a great choice because study shows menthol found in peppermint can reduce the duration and severity of menstrual pain.
I know exercising is hard due to the pain, but exercise is conducive to blood circulation. It can also help relaxing your abdominal muscles and pelvic muscles. The excretion of menstrual blood will also be relatively smooth, and it has a certain effect on relieving menstrual pain. You don’t need to perform intense activities such as playing basketball, just try a brisk walk, a jog, or yoga.
Yoga is especially helpful in relieving period pain. You can stretch and extend your abdominals, lower back, waist and pelvic area through safe yoga forms. This ultimately relaxes your muscles and reduce discomfort associated with your period.
If you are interested in learning what specific types of yoga form may help you relieve period pain, here are more details.
A good night sleep is very important, but a majority of the population today find it hard to fall asleep at night. All you need to do is stay warm, which can be done with a comfortable electric underblanket, and create a perfect sleeping environment for yourself.
You can create a comfortable sleeping environment by turning the electric underblanket on 15~20 minutes before going to bed. Turn off the electric underblanket when you sleep, this pre-warms your bed and will help you sleep better.
When ladies have their period, some people like to cover an extra piece of cloth on top of the electric underblanket and bedsheet. This is because they are afraid their period might dirty the electric underblanket. This action is not suggested as it might cause the heat to be unevenly distributed.
If you do place something on top of the electric underblanket, remember to turn it on at the lowest heat. Heat may increase the amount of bleeding during one's period and everyone's body behaves differently, remember to consult a doctor if you have any questions.
Eat low fat natural foods and eat in balance. Eating less sodium is a good idea and try taking more natural fish oil, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B, vitamin E and protein. These foods may help with your menstrual pain.
We aspire for better health for our readers, liberate them from their painful episodes, and empower them to pursue their goals and aspirations, and future endeavours pain-free.
Pain killer is NOT the only way to relieve your menstrual pain!
You can live a healthier life and relieve period pain through natural ways that are mentioned in this article. Stay on a healthy diet and smartly use heat therapy to keep yourself warm and comfortable, this will be a great way to relieve your period pain.
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