There are women who can perfectly endure menstrual pain, but there are those who have a really bad time. It all depends on how each woman is, how the pain “attacks” us and the menstruation that each one of them has. In any case, at the moment in which the pain is suffered, we can only think of cringing, taking an ibuprofen and waiting for it to pass. 
However, experts recommend not to abuse ibuprofen. So, are there other remedies to overcome intense moments of pain? Exist! If you want to forget about having your period, we give you some tricks to know how to relieve menstrual pain when you do not want to resort to ibuprofen.
Why does menstrual pain occur?
- Sometimes, women can suffer bearable punctures but other times the pain is caused by the kidneys and the gut area. This makes it practically impossible to move, and all we want is for the pain to pass as soon as possible.
- Menstrual pain is so well known that you have probably never stopped to think about why it occurs. The reason is that, when we have our period, the muscles that form the uterus contract to let blood flow. In turn, it releases substances that produce painful cramps and menstrual contractions, which can be accompanied by dizziness, leg pain or diarrhea, and even affect our rhythm of life.
Tricks to relieve menstrual pain
Heat and legs up
Surely you have heard it more than once but the heat in the gut or kidneys helps to relieve the pain caused by menstrual cramps. Lie down and use a bag of seeds, a bag of water, an electric blanket or a hot plate of those of a lifetime.
There are two positions that you can choose to relax: one, with your legs raised (this is the best if, in addition to the pain, you feel dizzy) and another in the fetal position (with your legs towards your chest and turned to one side).
Do exercise
Yes, we know that when you find yourself like this it is the first thing you remove from the list of things to do, but it is one of the most repeated recommendations. When we have our period, we tend to eliminate exercise during the first days and yet, in a great way to avoid pain and feel better.
It does not mean that you beat yourself up running (there are women who can feel dizzy) but, for example, yoga has many postures that help us stretch and relieve the painful area to feel more relaxed.
Give yourself a massage
Essential oils usually help a lot when it comes to relaxing the area affected by menstrual pain. Massage the area with lavender or eucalyptus oil, applying light pressure in a circular motion. In addition, the heat of the hands and the smell of these products will gradually help the pain to subside.
Encourage yourself to maintain relationships
It may not be what you want the most if you are on your period. But having sex before and during menstruation causes us to relax the uterus and release hormones that have a natural analgesic effect.
Take an infusion and watch what you eat
- Whenever we find ourselves like this we resort to chamomile. However, there is a wide variety of natural anti-inflammatory infusions so that we are not left alone with that one. Lemon balm, ginger or cinnamon, for example, will help you with menstrual pain. In addition, you will be maintaining good hydration that will prevent fluid retention.
- On the other hand, these days we may have to look a little more at what we eat. Let’s think for that first day of pain a meal full of foods rich in calcium, iron, magnesium (such as spinach or kale), omega 3 and vitamin B12 (such as oily fish, salmon or avocado). All of them contribute to reducing menstrual cramps. Try to avoid large foods full of saturated fats that will feed that pain and help make you feel more bloated.
- If, despite these tricks, the pain is still present or is very intense, you should consult your doctor because we may be facing a possible endometriosis or the pain is a symptom of some problem.
