Virtually every woman experiences menstrual cramps during her life. These cramps can develop right before a menstrual period begins or at any point after it arrives (generally during the first few days).
Menstruation occurs when the uterine lining expels itself, which occurs once every 28 days, give or take, in post-pubescent and pre-menopausal women. In order to shed its lining, the uterus contracts.
Prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that play a part in inflammation and pain, encourage these contractions. The higher the level of prostaglandins, the more severe menstrual cramps will be, and in many cases, those cramps can be severe and debilitating.
There are a number of conditions that can also increase the risk of severe menstrual cramps, such as heavy bleeding, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Fortunately, there are ways to manage the pain yourself, at home.
Here’s a look at eight ways to relieve painful period cramps.
1. Exercise.
Working out when you are on your period may be the last thing that you feel like doing, but believe it or not, it can actually help to alleviate some of the discomforts that you may be experiencing.
Exercise increases the production of endorphins – those feel-good chemicals that are known to alleviate pain; furthermore, exercise gets the blood pumping throughout the entire body. As such, exercising can help to reduce the cramps that you are experiencing when you are having your period, as well as minimize the severity of menstruation.
There are a number of exercises that can effectively banish those jarring pains, including aerobics (running, jogging, and briskly walking), low-impact cardio (such as swimming), yoga, and simply performing basic stretches are all ways that you can get your blood pumping and increase the production of endorphins, thereby minimizing the discomfort that is associated with your period cramps.