Natural Ways to Reduce Period Pain

Although women’s health has come a long way in the past few decades, today’s most common forms of period pain management, eg. ibuprofen, birth control, and other OTC drugs, aren’t always reliable, and absolutely aren’t doing our bodies any favors. They’re just band-aid solutions, and we firmly believe that women deserve better.

Thankfully, there’s a more natural way. A more effective way.

The natural way doesn’t just treat symptoms, it addresses the issues at the root, and that’s why it works so well. Here are a few simple ways to relieve period pain, naturally!

More and more women are discovering that when they supply their bodies with the correct nutrients it allows their hormones to naturally balance out. Although many don’t understand this crucial connection, severe negative symptoms of our periods are almost always a consequence of imbalanced hormones. The average consumer lifestyle of the first world consists of a number of foods that throw these hormones out of balance. The correct nutrients, taken regularly, help shift our bodies back to where they should be.

Balance means dramatically reduced cramping, significantly less fatigue, and decreased brain fog. It even means the natural end to acne.

At Mixhers, we’ve developed a simple nutrient solution for the modern woman, we call it Hertime. Hertime balances your hormones through nutritional therapy, it’s our bread and butter, and because it’s 100% natural, it works really, really well!

Stay Hydrated

Although it might seem pretty straightforward (losing blood means I’m losing water, which means I should replenish what I’ve lost), you’d be surprised how many women simply don’t drink enough water during their period. It’s crucial that we are giving our body new supplies to replace the ones we lose.

Healthline breaks down another reason why drinking water helps reduce period pain, “…drinking water keeps your body from retaining water and helps to avoid painful bloating during menstruation.” Simply put, when our bodies detect a water shortage, they start to hoard water more, keeping it stashed away for later. This is why insufficient water often leads to increased bloating and greater discomfort.

Get The Right Foods, Cut The Wrong Ones

A balanced, healthy diet can be one of the most effective ways to keep period pain manageable. Although every diet differs, here are a few simple period nutrition tips.

Because you’ll lose a lot of iron during menstruation, chicken, fish, and green veggies are a good go-to to help your body recover.

Herbal Teas are a widespread favorite, Health Partners explains, “Herbal teas have anti-inflammatory properties and antispasmodic compounds that can reduce the muscle spasms in the uterus that cause cramping.”4

Last, Avoid overly fatty, salty, processed foods. This isn’t easy for any of us, but the benefits are worth it.

Exercise Regularly

Often when we think ‘exercise’, we think pain, sweat, and tears. On your period, however, try focusing instead on simple consistent activity, not too tough, not too taxing. A light walk around the block or basic at-home exercises can work wonders by helping the body maintain healthy blood flow. Simple, consistent movement helps keep us from getting too stiff and tight.

Pull out those yoga mats! Yoga has been shown to have widespread positive effects on lessening period paid. A study found that when participants regularly used Fish, Cat, and Cobra, three classic yoga poses, they experienced significantly less period pain.

Other Physical Remedies

In addition to exercise, countless studies show that applying heat to the abdominal area can work calming wonders. A widespread study concluded that adequate heat was about as effective as taking ibuprofen. Many also find that adding a gentle massage enhances the effectiveness of the heat.

Although not everyone swears by them, studies have also shown that essential oils can in fact help to relieve period pain.

Acupuncture is also known to help some women by calming the nervous system and allowing the body to relax more through the process.

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/menstrual-cramp-remedies#essential-oils
2. https://www.jpagonline.org/article/S1083-3188(11)00060-X/fulltext
3. https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1447-0756.2011.01802.x
4. https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/13-ways-to-stop-period-pain/
5. https://www.everydayhealth.com/treatment/womens-health/ways-to-relieve-period-cramps/
6. https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-12-25