Most women experience discomfort during menstruation that can range from mild to severe. These pains are called dysmenorrhea. There are several types:
- Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common, usually mild to moderate pain that begins along with menstruation and lasts one or two days.
- Secondary dysmenorrhea appears as a consequence of some disease or abnormality. These discomforts usually appear at a later age, the pains are usually more intense and last longer than primary dysmenorrhea. If this is your case, it is advisable to see a doctor for a diagnosis.
In this article we will focus on primary dysmenorrhea, which is the one we all suffer to a greater or lesser extent with each menstruation.
Why does the period hurt?
Painful menstruation is usually caused by an excess of substances called prostaglandins.
These substances are released by the uterine lining (endometrium) when it is preparing to shed. During menstruation, prostaglandins cause the uterus to contract and relax so that the endometrium can shed and leave the body (the period). The more prostaglandins that are released in this process, the stronger the contractions of the uterus and the greater the pain.
How to reduce menstrual pain naturally?
If you don’t want to spend the day curled up on the couch or take all the pills your body can handle, here are 5 natural and effective alternatives to combat menstrual pain.
TIP 1: Food and nutrition
Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy life. Eating well will also help relieve pain and discomfort during menstruation considerably.
There are specific foods whose properties can help you feel better during menstruation, such as cashews, walnuts, broccoli, spinach, pomegranate, bananas, flax, chia, tahini, salmon, buckwheat, among others.
In general try to maintain a diet as natural as possible, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid processed foods, excessive salt, refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol or tobacco and stay hydrated.
TIP 2: Herbal infusions
Plants are excellent for relieving countless ailments and are also very useful for relieving menstrual pain. You can prepare an infusion and take it with you in a thermos to take it little by little throughout the day.
Here are some great plants to relieve menstrual cramps:
- Sage (reduces the intensity and duration of pain in primary dysmenorrhea).
- Chamomile (relieves and relaxes pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties).
- Ginger (analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that relieve pain).
- Cinnamon (in addition to relieving pain, being anticoagulant, it also promotes the flow of menstrual flow).
- Basil (its analgesic properties relieve mild menstrual cramps).
- Valerian (relieves menstrual pain thanks to its antispasmodic properties and is able to reduce bleeding).
TIP 3: CBD Oil
CBD oil has become a revolution in the treatment of menstrual pain, but in addition to relieving pain it also treats other annoying symptoms that come with menstruation and premenstrual syndrome:
- Anxiety
- Swelling
- Insomnia
- Tiredness
- Pain.
If you are interested in trying for yourself the fabulous wellness possibilities that CBD oil offers you can try our FreeU Calm CBD oil, a completely natural and safe way to feel better.
If you want to know more about what CBD is click here.
TIP 4: Exercise and relaxation
There is evidence of the benefit of exercise in reducing menstrual pain as well as helping to improve other aspects of health. You probably don’t feel like doing much on those days, but you don’t have to go jogging like a pony, some moderate exercise will do.
Do simple stretching and mobility exercises, practice yoga or meditation and of course get adequate rest.
TIP 5: Localized heat
We all know that heat helps with pain, because heat causes the uterus to relax and at the same time improves blood flow. It’s usually applied with a hot water bottle on the belly, a bag of cherry pits or heating pads, but now there’s a new solution:
Our Wellness soothing menstrual panty from FreeU soothes pain by producing warmth wherever you are at all times, without the discomfort or inconvenience of having to use hot water bottles.
The fabric of the Wellness panty uses the body’s thermal energy to generate heat and soothe menstrual pain in the abdominal and lower back areas.
The panty is passable, so you will not be hot, and also being an absorbent menstrual panty you will not need to use compresses if you do not want to.
BONUS TIP: Feel comfortable
It is very important to use non-toxic products during your menstruation, this may not help to reduce pain, but it does reduce discomfort.
Using pads and tampons bleached with toxic products can cause vaginal dryness, fungus, irritation in the groin by the chafing of the pads ….
To avoid these unnecessary discomforts we recommend that you try products that are kinder to your body (and the planet), reusable products without toxic products such as those we manufacture in FreeU of Anaissa: the menstrual cup, reusable pads and menstrual panties, which you can also find for different flows, menstrual panties for teens, menstrual thongs, even menstrual bikini for girls or teens!
Check out our products and see how we can help you live your menstruation in the most comfortable and sustainable way possible.
Echa un vistazo a nuestros productos y comprueba cómo podemos ayudarte a vivir tu menstruación de la manera más cómoda y sostenible posible.
