“Why are you being so cranky? Is it that time of the month?”. This is one common line which every woman must have at least once in her lifetime. And the feeling behind these lines is something which is only known to a woman. It is not just only “that time of the month”, but they are those dreadful 5 days when you start to question the significance of being blessed with the typical lady parts. The horrible period cramps add to the restlessness of the whole process. The cramps reach out like someone is literally scratching the walls off with a knife inside your uterus. But hold on! I have some exclusive home remedies for menstrual cramps to ease off the deadly cramps in those days. Read on to know more.
What Causes Period Cramps?
The whole process of menstruation involves some simple yet complex steps.
- It usually begins with the formation of a thick layer inside the uterus to let the embryo attach and develop. It waits for a period of 28 days for an egg to reach out and attach itself to the wall.
- If the ovum is never fertilized, then the ovum is passed out of the system and the formed layer starts to shed after about 26-28 days, depending on the body health of the woman.
- When the layer sheds, it brings out blood, nerves, blood vessels and some skins through the vagina. Everything attached to the wall of the uterus starts tearing down to be passed out from the vagina.
- This tearing down causes period cramps. These cramps are rather constant than the periodical. They remain until the uterine wall has entirely shed. The main cramps persist for the first 3 days and keep getting better for the next 2 days.
- Sometimes, it gets very tough to get through those 3 days of intense pain. Especially, when you have important work stuff or chores to finish.
- Some women prefer taking period delay pills to get away with the cramps if the period date falls on important dates. However, these pills aren’t safe for regular consumption and may have side effects in the long term.
- Therefore, it is better to not hinder the natural processes and take care of the cramps instead. But how to stop period cramps? Here are some easy tips that will help.
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How To Ease Menstrual Cramps?
There are many simple ways by which you can ease the menstrual cramps, if not completely stop it. Eased enough that it wouldn’t hinder the peace of your mind.
1. Diet! Diet! Diet!
It is true what they say. You are what you eat. You can always note this thing in general people. In case of women, the one who follows a healthy and nutritional diet complains a lot less about the period cramps. However, during these 5 days, women tend to get weird cravings for sweet and salty foods. They call it their comfort food. But believe you me ladies. They can only comfort your tongue and the mind for just a little while. If you really want to take care of the period cramps, you need to lay your hands on anti-inflammatory foods. This trick is done by eating tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, berries, blueberries etc. It would also be beneficial if you go for calcium-rich foods such as almonds, green vegetables, and beans. When you get all the essential nutrients, the cramps start to ease off with time. However, for long-term results, I would recommend adopting this food in your daily diet and not just limiting them to those 5 days.
2. Bring Heat to Action
Treating the abdomen area with outer heat helps a lot in easing down the period cramps. The cramps usually occur because of the constant contraction of the uterine walls. The muscles tend to contract and be under constant tension. However, applying some heat over it in the form of a hot water bag or a heat wrap helps to relax the contracting muscles and give an unbelievable relief in case of menstrual cramps. It is even better than taking medications such as painkillers for the cramps. Since you won’t be putting your body at risk for anything and simply using external solutions with zero side effects.
3. Cut Down On Caffeine
And caffeine doesn’t only mean coffee, but every other related thing that includes chocolates, cold drinks, tea, energy drinks etc. and everything that contains caffeine. This is because caffeine induces inflammation. And the last thing you want is to add something to trigger that horrible period cramp all the more. So, you need to stay away from caffeine completely these days. Instead, you can go for smoothies made from fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only would they lift up your mood but will provide your body with all the essential nutrients it needs in the simplest way.
4. Exercise Solves Everything
And this goes for literally all kinds of body problems. Exercising is that wonder activity that helps to lift up your mood by letting your brain release endorphins. These boost mood and improve the well being of the overall body. However, I am not at all suggesting hard exercises at this time such as crunches, cardio etc. The exercise routine must go easy on your body such as walking, mild running, simple stretching to get rid of fatigue. For women who experience too much fatigue, yoga is a good way to exercise gently and getting towards long-term results.
5. Acupressure To The Rescue
One of the rather old eastern ways of treating pains and many other medical conditions of the body is acupressure. The technique usually requires certain trigger points on your body to be pressed and applied gentle pressure on to hit the right kind of muscles to relieve the pain. This goes on same for the menstrual cramps too. You might not be aware of the trigger points but you can always consult a practitioner to help you get to those points over the abdomen, shoulders, back or even the parts between your fingers. These treatments aren’t even timed and are completely drug-free. So, you can be sure of them being safe at any time reaching.
6. Make That Core Strong
A woman who has a rather stronger core area is likely to experience lesser menstrual cramps than the one who doesn’t have one. And the key to a stronger core is strength training and workouts. However, I am not suggesting the harsh ones for these 5 days, but you can keep them in your workout routine on a regular basis on the normal days. Some yoga poses are specially meant for core strengthening. These may be the staff pose, bridge, and the bound angel yoga pose. I would recommend to reach out to a qualified yoga instructor for help rather than trying them on your own to avoid any complications.
7. Have A Good Night Sleep
Save those long TV shows and movies and late-night conversations for the normal 25 days of your month. If you really want period cramp relief, then you need to get an adequate amount of sleep. Losing precious hours of sleep add to the pain. Whereas getting proper sleep is the key to a good mood and relieved menstrual pains.
8. Have A Good Warm Bath
As mentioned earlier, heat helps your muscles relax. Same goes for a nice hot water bath. Have some nice hot water collected in your bathtub at an ideal temperature, brew in your favorite bath salts, lay some essential oil candles and flowers around the bathroom and put on some nice soothing music as a treat for your ears and forget the world! The relief you will feel will insist you get to this activity every day. The soothing hot water will relax your muscles and mind. The candles and music plus the flowers will instantly elevate your mood and take you to a world where time is still and short of pain. Try it for yourself for your next disaster days.
9. Light Massaging
Massaging your abdomen area with the help of your fingers for a little while will help a lot for menstrual cramp relief. A light massage will help your abdomen muscles to relax and will ease the process of shedding of the uterine wall which will help get rid of period pain faster. You can use essential oils such as lavender or marjoram oils for better and effective results.
So, these were some of the basic home remedies that you can use to ease off period cramps. These 5 days are horrible, sure, but if you act smart, you can get through them like a pro. For long-term relief, try to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Exercise regularly for a stronger core and eat healthy fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods to always have your body under that state of health. In the long run, it won’t only benefit the dealing with menstrual cramps, but also the overall well-being of your body.
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