Painful Periods? 3 simple ways to ease them.

Pain of any kind caused by having your period is no fun. Sometimes the pain (cramps, headaches, etc.) happen before your period begins because of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). And sometimes the pain occurs during your period. There are several things you can do in order to prevent the pain from starting, but there are also several things you can do to help relieve the pain once it’s already begun. Since every woman is different, you may need to try several options until you find the ones that works best for you.

Eat a balanced diet. Ensuring you are eating a balanced diet, at regular intervals throughout the day, can help prevent or reduce the pain associated with your period. A well-balanced diet includes whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit.

• Foods that are rich in (complex) carbohydrates can also be helpful as they help your body produce more serotonin, which in turn helps to regulate your mood and symptoms.
• In addition to eating the proper foods, you may want to try eating six smaller meals throughout the day, instead of three larger ones. Spreading out your food intake can help keep your blood sugar levels balanced, which in turn can help alleviate many symptoms associated with your period, including pain and cramps.
• When cooking, use healthy oils like vegetable or olive oil.

• Apply pressure to acupressure points. There is an acupressure point located on the inside of your leg, approximately 3 finger widths up from your anklebone, that can create relief for cramps and pain caused by your period.
• Use your fingers to apply deep pressure to this area for 5 minutes to help relieve the pain.
• Applying pressure and massaging your lower abdomen, where the cramps are most painful, may also help. You might want to try this in combination with a heating pad.

                                    

Take a warm bath or use heating pads. A warm bath (or shower) or a heating pad can help reduce the sharpness of the cramps caused by your period. The heating pad can be placed on your belly, below your belly button.

• Be careful not to fall asleep with a heating pad on. If possible, purchase a heating pad that automatically turns itself off after a certain period of time.