What causes period cramps and how to treat them naturally
Are you tired of dreading that time of the month because of excruciating period pain? You're not alone. Many women endure this monthly agony, often thinking it's just a normal part of life.
While it can be normal to experience mild cramping just before, or during the first few days of your period, your periods shouldn’t be causing intense pain.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the causes of menstrual cramps and explore natural, effective ways to alleviate the discomfort. From understanding the role of prostaglandins to adopting an anti-inflammatory diet and trying specific supplements, we'll cover a range of strategies to help you reclaim your comfort and well-being. Let's take the first step towards pain-free periods together.
What causes period cramps
Menstrual cramps are caused by the prostaglandins that get released when your uterus lining breaks down.
Prostaglandins are hormone-like compounds that trigger uterine muscles to contract during your period, helping to shed the uterus lining. They also promote inflammation.
Prostaglandins are a normal part of the process, but some people produce too many, causing period cramps. Having excess oestrogen and low levels of progesterone increases the release of prostaglandins.
Pain during ovulation
Ovulation pain is called mittelschmerz, which is German for ‘middle pain’, and is caused by the egg rupturing out of your ovary. It can be experienced as a slight twinge in your lower pelvis, and it should be brief, usually for no more than a couple of hours. The pain can be worse if it’s been a while since you’ve ovulated, which can happen with PCOS or if you’ve just come off the pill.
How to treat period cramps naturally
Treatment for period cramps focuses on reducing prostaglandins. If hormones are imbalanced, treatment should also aim to restore balance.
Anti-inflammatory diet
The main aim is simple, increase whole foods and reduce highly processed foods. Try to focus on what foods you’re increasing, not what you’re cutting down on, and this will naturally crowd out the more processed foods.
Be mindful of the sugar content of foods that can seem healthy. The sugar content in things like dried fruit, fruit juice, honey, cereal, flavoured yoghurt, muesli bars and tinned fruit in syrup can add up very quickly throughout the day.
Increasing protein and fibre will help to keep blood sugar balanced, which is an important factor in reducing inflammation.
Ginger can reduce period pain, bloating and nausea. Make ginger tea by grating ginger and steeping it in boiled water for 15 minutes.
Supplements
These supplements reduce prostaglandins, inhibit inflammation and relax the uterus.
Just choose 1 or 2 at a time to try.
Magnesium – I recommend 300-400mg of magnesium glycinate per day.
Calcium – 500-700mg per day.
Turmeric capsules. Also helpful for heavy periods.
Zinc – 7-20mg of zinc picolinate or citrate daily. If you eat little to no meat, aim for 20mg.
Fish oil – 2000mg per day.
Address histamine intolerance
Your menstrual cramps could be driven by histamine intolerance. Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include hay fever, eczema, headaches, anxiety, brain fog, headaches, PMS, hives, nasal congestion and insomnia. If you experience several of these symptoms, you may need to treat histamine intolerance to improve your period cramps.
For more information about histamine read my post Histamine Intolerance and its Effects on Hormones and Period Health.
Gentle movement
It can be the last thing you feel like doing but even a short walk or gentle stretching can improve cramps.
Switching from tampons to pads or period underwear can bring relief for some women.
Trial eliminating dairy or gluten
If you have tried these treatments but haven’t seen enough improvement, I suggest cutting out cows' dairy and gluten for 2 months. You can try doing this one at a time to determine which had an impact. These foods can be inflammatory for some people, and it’s fairly common for those experiencing menstrual cramps to have a sensitivity to gluten or dairy.
No improvements from treatments
If these treatments don’t improve your period cramps, it’s likely you’re not experiencing normal period pain, and there is something else behind it.
When are period cramps not normal
Period cramps are so normalised I often find that my clients haven’t even considered that their pain is abnormal. Or they’ve been told it’s ‘just period pain’ and to take stronger painkillers like codeine because that’s all that can be done.
You shouldn’t have to just ‘put up with’ intense pain every month, simply because you have periods.
You shouldn’t need to take painkillers every few hours throughout your period just to manage the pain.
It isn’t normal for the pain to be described as burning, stabbing or searing.
You shouldn’t need time off work or school because of cramps.
It isn’t normal to feel like you want to faint or vomit from the pain.
You shouldn’t experience pain between periods.
And you shouldn’t experience a deep, sharp pain during sex.
If you experience any of these symptoms I suggest visiting your doctor to see if you’re able to get tests done. Common causes of extreme period pain are endometriosis and adenomyosis which are serious conditions that require appropriate management. Infection and cysts can also cause abnormal pain.
Managing period pain can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to control your life. Understanding the cause of the pain and having some tools that address this directly can help you to reduce your cramps naturally. Each woman's body is unique, so it may take some time to find what works best for you.
If you’d like support to manage period pain or you have concerns that your pain is abnormal, book a free discovery call with me to see how my Holistic Health Coaching Program can support you.
Ready to decode your body’s messages and take your health into your own hands? Check out my free download Hormone Imbalances: Understanding and Interpreting Symptoms.