How do you get rid of period pain?

All those headaches and cramps you have every month – is there a way to either prevent them or get relief from them?

Lets Get To the Bottom Of This Together!

What about the tender, sore breasts and the distended abdomen from bloating? How do I deal with that? How do you get rid of the pain from constipation or from the weight gain and fluid retention when your ankles are swollen and you are miserable?

Do you have back pain? Diarrhea? Do you get depressed or over anxious during your cycle or are you one of the panic attack folks?

There are so many ways that you can suffer through your menstrual cycle that there must also be many way to get rid of period pain for good.

First let’s look at the menstrual cycle itself and where each type of pain shows up and how severe it is or can be. We will look at a few other cycle symptoms that are not pain but that can lead to excruciating pain.

Then we will look at the causes of each of these menstruation pains. Do you experience these pains before, during or after your period?

Are they from pms (Premenstrual syndrome)? When do you have chronic abdominal and stomach pain or really bad leg cramps?

Then what about those women who have very bad zits or extreme mood swings which can lead to those painful migraines.

Then we will look at ways to treat or remedy these episodes of painful menstrual cycles.

How can you deal with period pain naturally and quickly? What works fast? What can you do when you are at work?

What remedies work when you are at home?

We will give you all the help and all the tips you need to deal with all these symptoms and all these types of pain.

What remedies allow you to treat the pain naturally and quickly?

Can you do it without pills and without painkillers?

Can you cure the causes of this pain without taking tablets or without medicine?

Can the pain be alleviated for good? Are there home remedies that will do this?

Stages of the Menstrual Cycle

Premenstrual Stage – this is the one to two weeks prior to the start of the bleeding period. It is in this stage that all the pms symptoms begin. They might be slight and build to a crescendo in the next two stages but they start here. Mood swings, headaches and depression are particularly prevalent in this stage. Breast swelling and tenderness starts in this stage. Fluid retention can begin in this stage and last until the bleeding begins.

Follicular Stage – in this stage estrogen is produce in high quantities while the lining of the uterus in thickening in order to accept and hold the fertilized egg if need be. Eggs begin to mature in this stage and with the buildup of estrogen there is a hormonal imbalance that begins. All the symptoms of pms are in play in this stage. Bloating and cramping are particularly intense in this stage due to the buildup of the uterus and it begins to push on the pelvis and rectum. There are uterine contractions and spasms in this stage as well. Any symptom that began in the premenstrual stage will manifest stronger in this stage. This stage ends as ovulation begins.

Luteal Stage - In this stage the hormone progesterone is produced in the kind of quantities that estrogen we produced in the follicular stage. This progesterone starts to take over and push out the estrogen. You still have a hormonal imbalance but you don’t have as much because the real culprit is the estrogen. For instance the soreness of the breasts eases at this point. Ovulation is occurring in this stage and uncomfortable things like vomiting, nausea, constipation and diarrhea also happen here.

Period Stage this is the stage in which the menstrual bleeding or menses takes place. When the eggs are not fertilized they are shed along with the excess uterine lining, excess fluid and water and blood. The bloating ends in this stage along with any moodiness, depression, anxiety or panic attacks. Breast pain does return in this stage. All painful and uncomfortable symptoms taper off toward the end of this stage of the cycle.

Post Menstrual Stage – unfortunately some women experience some or all of the pms symptoms and issues in the week or two after their period ends and they stop bleeding.

Causes of Menstrual Cycle Pain

“According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 50 percent of menstruating women suffer from dysmenorrhea or painful periods.” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/279819-what-vitamins-are-good-for-period-pain/)

Headaches – it seems that the increase in progesterone and the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone is the cause of these headaches and migraines. The decrease in estrogen in the luteal stage causes a decrease in magnesium. This depletion of magnesium is the real cause of the headache.

Cramps – Abdominal and stomach cramps – these can be debilitating to the point of making a woman bed ridden during her cycle. Cramping is caused by spasms and contractions in the uterus and pelvis. The release of prostaglandins increases the intensity of those spasms and contractions.

Back pain - For many women lower back pain is excruciating during the menstrual cycle and some also have upper back pain. The culprit here might be prostaglandins again.

Remedies and Treatments

Medical Treatments

It would be nice to deal with this period pain without medicine, but if need be there are both over the counter (OTC) and prescription medications that can help. These include Pamprin and Midol made specifically to deal with pms and prescriptions NSAIDS (Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) and analgesics. 

Vitamins – 

Vitamin E: “According to Obgyn.net, a study was conducted on women who suffer with dysmenorrhea and found that after giving these women vitamin E supplements, 70 percent of the women tested experienced improvement in menstrual cramping after two cycles.” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/279819-what-vitamins-are-good-for-period-pain/) Vitamin E can block those pesky prostaglandins that can cause so much pain. Vitamin E needs to be taken at the very least 2 days before the cycle begins and three days after. 

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) “Vitamin B3 can also be helpful in combating menstrual cramps if taken every two to three hours when cramps begin. In a study stated on OBGYN.net, 88 percent of women noticed a decrease in menstrual cramping when taking this supplement. The recommended dose is 100 mg twice per day throughout the month, and 100 mg every two to three hours when experiencing menstrual cramps.” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/279819-what-vitamins-are-good-for-period-pain/)

Vitamin D is helpful in reducing inflammation that builds up during the menstrual cycle. Reducing the inflammation will reduce pain in the back and joints.

Natural Remedies without pills, painkillers, tablets or medicine

A lot of these remedies will help to reduce or prevent the menstrual pain without the use of pills, tablets or medicine.

Some of these herbs are in pill or tablet form however. 

Herbs there are a variety of herbs that help with menstrual cycle pain depending upon what type of pain it is and where it is. Many of these herbs can be used at home and at work so that women do not have to miss so much work time.

Dong quai is traditionally very effective at relieving pain from the menstrual cycle and especially joint pain. Dong quai is effective because it affects the life span and the production of estrogen. As we know estrogen causes most period pain.
Raspberry Leaf Tea is used to stop the contractions and spasms of the pelvis and uterus. This relieves the cramping pains.

Ginger is one of the most versatile herbs ever. In respect to period pain, ginger affects the release of prostaglandins which cause inflammations and pain.
Pycnogenol made from pine bark it is often used as a substitute for prescription analgesics.

Chaste berry is used almost exclusively for migraines and headaches as it is the most effective herb for this type of pain during the menstrual cycle.

Magnesium can act as a muscle relaxer for the uterus and can prevent spasms and cramping. It also helps to relieve headaches and fatigue during the menstrual cycle also.

Calcium reduces not only pain during menstruation but fatigue, depression and loss of appetite.

Lifestyle

There are several lifestyle issues you can pursue to ease the pain of pms and the menstrual cycle. There are just a few.

Yoga there are several advantages yoga that are helpful in pain reduction. Yoga offers the user exercise, stretching, relaxation time and meditation. All of these techniques can impact pain in a positive manner. 

Exercise is always a good remedy for pain. It takes your mind in a different direction, it stretches the muscles and tissues that might be cramping and causing the pain, and produces endorphins to make you feel better.

Sleep is a vital component to pain reduction. It is recommended that a woman who is inclined to a lot of menstrual cycle pain get more than 8 hours sleep a night in the week leading up to the start of her cycle.

Diet eating a well-rounded diet is also important to pain reduction.

So you can see there are a lot of ways to get rid of period pain. Every woman must decide for herself what the best choices are and what the best route is for her.