(NaturalNews) Menstrual cramps or period pains can be very debilitating and can often cause considerable pain and discomfort for several hours and even longer. Your period pains are caused by the uterus contracting. The medical term is dysmenorrhea. In addition to severe stomach pain, you may experience extreme tiredness, back ache, vomiting, diarrhea and even pain down the inside of the thighs. All too often when you speak to doctors about period pains, they will try to put you on hormonal birth control or prescription pain killers as the solution. This is not what you want to hear if you are trying to cut down on the use of drugs for every condition and ailment and go the more natural route.
This begins with some planning before your periods are due to start by:
– Avoiding salty foods and alcohol as these can increase bloating by retaining water, making the cramping pain worse.
– Drinking lots of water as this helps in avoiding bloating. Add lemon juice, a natural diuretic to decrease bloating.
– Eating a healthy diet including lots of greens to avoid a sluggish feeling while cutting down on the amount of food you normally eat.
– Avoiding dairy and caffeine as many find these increase period pains.
– Taking supplements including cell salts, extra calcium, magnesium, zinc and potassium. Vitamin B complex helps to reduce muscle spasms.
– Taking herbal treatments such as evening primrose oil to reduce or even prevent cramps.
– Taking an anti spasmodic herbal treatment such as herbal teas from the start of your period a few times a day. Alternatives are ginger or lemon balm teas.
– Avoiding stress is most important of all. Let those around you know that you are not feeling yourself so that you can relax peacefully.
Once the period starts and if, in spite of all your preparations, you still feel any pain or discomfort, then here are some helpful ideas and some natural treatments too:
– Use essential oils such as lavender in an oil burner or your bath or rub them into the abdomen. This will help you to relax and in turn help ease the cramps.
– An old fashioned hot water bottle is very comforting for stomach cramps or the more modern heating pad can be used. Soaking in a warm bath a couple of times during the day can be very soothing too.
– Warm a small amount of olive oil or clary sage, cool and rub on stomach. Lie down for 15 to 20 minutes.
– A home remedy is to take a cotton wool pad that covers most of the abdomen, soak with Arrack and place on the painful spot for half an hour.
– Another home remedy using Arrack is to swallow a tablespoon of cumin with a glass of Arrack.
– Eat a banana with a tub of yoghurt daily. Bananas contain plenty of B6 which regulates blood glucose levels, affecting your mood in a good way.
– Acupuncture and Aromatherapy are two other treatments you might find very helpful. Acupuncture is said to ease all gynaecological problems, helping to unblock energy channels in the reproductive system, while aromatherapy is naturally relaxing and soothing.
– Gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga can also be helpful.
The important thing is to find a few different natural remedies that suit you and help you to overcome the pain and discomfort at this particular time of the month.