Fact – periods can be so brutal and prevent you from living your life normally. In this post, I share 7 home remedies for menstrual cramps. These tips actually work!
Menstrual cramps are common but you don’t have to deal with excruciating pain every single month.
There are effective home remedies for menstrual cramps including essential oils, supplements, herbs and drinks that can help alleviate crazy cramps.
Whether you have mild, moderate or severe pain, you can try any of the natural suggestions below right away for relief! These remedies can be taken in conjunction with conventional medicine.
Before we jump into the gist of this article, find let’s explore the causes of menstrual cramps:
Causes of Menstrual Cramps
When it comes to menstrual cramps, there are hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that come to play. Prostaglandins have a part in reproductive processes such as ovulation, inducing labour and bringing on menstruation.
Another role of prostaglandins is that they contract your uterine lining, making it shed.
Prostaglandins basically respond to inflammation in the body. They are produced in response to injury or infection and cause inflammation, which is associated with the symptoms of redness, swelling, pain and fever. This is an important part of the body’s normal healing process.
However, this natural response can sometimes lead to excess and chronic production of prostaglandins, which may worsen menstrual flow and cramps by causing unwanted inflammation.
When too many prostaglandins are present, this can lead to painful menstrual cramps as well as backache, pelvic and thigh/leg pain. On another note, an overload of prostaglandins also causes bowel irritation a.k.a diarrhea or period poops.
There are quite a number of reasons why your body is producing too many prostaglandins. Some of them include:
- Estrogen dominance
- Low progesterone levels
- High inflammation
- Chronic and high stress
- High histamine
- PUFA(polyunsaturated fatty acid) rich diet
The above factors may lead to excess inflammation in the body, producing more prostaglandins which are potentially causing painful menstrual cramps.
Although in this article I will be sharing home remedies for menstrual cramps/quick relief, I recommend you address the root cause of why you are suffering from painful menstrual cramps – especially if they are severe. Some of the lifestyle changes you can implement include:
- Getting enough Vitamin D from the sun
- Having a good sleeping routine
- Managing stress levels
- Avoiding foods rich in PUFAs and eating foods with saturated fats instead
- Support thyroid function to promote progesterone production
- Support liver function for estrogen detoxification
- Eat foods rich in minerals to support low thyroid, stress, inflammation and histamine in the body
The above tips are supposed to be practised daily throughout your menstrual cycle.
Below, let’s check out 7 home remedies for menstrual cramps you can start using from today onwards:
7 Home Remedies for Menstrual Cramps
1. Try Anti-Inflammatory Herbs
Certain herbs contain powerful anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic properties that help prevent and reduce menstrual cramps. We shall look at 4 herbs that help menstrual cramps below:
- Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)
Cramp bark is a cramp-relieving herb that’s been used since ancient times to help alleviate muscle pain, arthritis and menstrual cramps as well.
It is an excellent smooth muscle relaxant that helps take away chronic pelvic pain, uterine irritability and also miscarriage cramps.
Cramp bark is also good for reducing diarrhea accompanied with cramps.
Take 1-2 dropperfuls of fresh cramp bark tincture (where to get it) 2-3 times a day until your cramps subside.
You can also take cramp bark tea by placing 2 teaspoons of dried cramp bark (where to get it) into 8 oz of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the flame and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and sip. You can sweeten the tea with honey before drinking it.
Cramp Bark (Viburnum) Tea (Loose) (4 oz, ZIN: 427526)
- Jamaican dogwood (Piscida piscipula)
This is an effective analgesic herb with mild sedative properties. It is amazing for subsidizing menstrual cramps.
Use 2 teaspoons of fresh dried Jamaican dogwood bark (where to get it) in 8 oz of water to make a tea.
Or for quicker results, take 1-2 dropperfuls of the Jamaican dogwood tincture (where to get it) 2-3 times a day.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
A warming herb, ginger is one of the best herbs for menstrual cramps.
Research (source 1, source 2) has shown that ginger is just as effective as ibuprofen and mefenamic acid, both used to reduce menstrual pain.
Ginger not only has strong analgesic (pain relief) properties. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help with PMS or period symptoms such as headache, nausea, gastrointestinal issues, back pain and more.
It helps increase blood circulation in the pelvic area which helps your period end faster, with less clots and cramping.
Dried ginger powder (where to get it) is the one that works wonders for menstrual pain. To use, simply steep 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger powder in 8 oz of boiling hot water for 5 minutes. Add some honey (optional) and drink it up.
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Another well-known anti-inflammatory herb that works well for menstrual cramps is turmeric.
It helps regulate the production of prostaglandins, preventing excess production that leads to severe cramps.
Turmeric, when combined with ginger, provides strong pain relieving properties.
Menstruation is basically a cleansing procedure taking place monthly within your body. Turmeric helps facilitate and ease that process by supporting the liver’s detoxification process.
You can make a soothing warm cup of turmeric milk, also known as golden milk, as follows:
Pour one cup of milk of your choice (it can be dairy or non-dairy) into a pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder (where to get it), 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger powder (where to get it) and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (where to get it). Use a whisk to combine the powders into the milk. Bring it to a boil. Strain the milk into a mug, stir in some honey and sip away!
2. Essential Oils Help
One of the best home remedies for menstrual cramps is essential oils!
Research (source) shows that massaging yourself with a blend of lavender, clary sage and marjoram essential oils in an unscented cream (or carrier oil) reduces the duration of your period pain from 2.4 days to 1.8 days.
In this study, the researchers used a 2:1:1 ratio of lavender, clary sage and marjoram essential oils in a 3% dilution. This means, for every 1 teaspoon of carrier oil or unscented cream, add 3 drops of essential oil.
The participants massaged the cream daily on their lower abdomen from the end of the last menstruation continuing to the beginning of the next menstruation.
Here’s how you can make the essential oil blend for menstrual cramps:
What you need
- 12 drops of lavender essential oil (where to get it)
- 3 drops of clary sage essential oil (where to get it)
- 3 drops of marjoram essential oil (where to get it)
- 1 ounce of jojoba oil (where to get it)
- 1 oz amber glass dropper bottle (where to get it)
- Small funnel for transferring (where to get it)
Directions
- Using a small funnel, pour 1 ounce of jojoba oil into an amber glass dropper bottle.
- Next, add the drops of essential oils.
- Make sure the bottle is not filled to the brim. You can pour the excess in a small bowl and use it for your first massage.
- Remove the funnel and cap the bottle tightly.
- Gently tilt it up and down to combine.
- To use, place a few drops on your palm, rub both palms together then massage gently over your lower abdomen and lower back as well.
3. Take Magnesium & a Multi Vitamin
Magnesium is one of the best home remedies for menstrual cramps.
Most of us are deficient in magnesium – 2 out of 3 people in developed countries because Mg contents have declined in food crops over the years (source).
This is alarming because this mineral plays a key role in many body functions. It not only helps prevent and reduce menstrual cramps but also nourishes the adrenal glands, helps balance blood sugar and hormones, calms nerves, supports detoxification and promotes good sleep. It also helps relieve migraine pain.
What makes magnesium work for menstrual cramps is because it reduces prostaglandins, which in turn reduces pain (source).
You can take 300-500 mg of magnesium glycinate (where to get it) or magnesium bicarbonate. Some people take that as an alternative treatment to ibuprofen/advil or midol.
Or use a magnesium oil spray (where to get it) on your lower abdomen and lower back.
In addition to magnesium, you need to take a good multi-vitamin all the vitamins and trace minerals your body needs. Choose one with prebiotics and probiotics in it (like this one) to promote all-round health and healthy pain-free menstruation.
Beyond Tangy Tangerine Tablets 2.0 (120 tablets)
4. Place a Heating Pad on your Abdomen
Heating pads are a girl’s best friend when it comes to easing menstrual cramps.
The heat they provide increases blood circulation which helps get things moving out of the uterus, preventing clots, reducing pain and helping your period end faster.
Research (source) revealed that a heating pad is a very effective home remedy for menstrual cramps without any adverse effects.
Using a heating pad (where to get it) was also discovered to be as good as taking ibuprofen for pain relief.
Place the heating pad over your lower abdomen or lower back and repeat as many times as necessary to feel soothed and less crampy.
5. Sip on Healing Teas
A hot mug of herbal tea not only provides anti-inflammatory and pain fighting properties but also soothes stomach irritability and period discomfort.
Some of the best herbal teas for menstrual cramps include:
- Cramp bark tea (where to get it)
- Ginger tea (where to get it)
- Peppermint tea (where to get it)
- Cinnamon tea (where to get it)
- Red raspberry tea (where to get it)
- And more
It is generally recommended to take 3 cups of herbal tea to get its medicinal benefits.
6. Drink Pain-Fighting Smoothies
When you’re on you period, you may not feel like eating anything at all. Or, you may be bingeing salty and sweet snacks. It’s not bad to order a pizza and relax, since resting is key when you have your period.
But, you can also treat yourself to a nutritious smoothie that can take your cramps away. Try this amazing smoothie for period cramps:
Smoothie for period cramps
What you need
- 2 ripe bananas, chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 cup almond milk (where to get it) or spring water
- 1 tsp beetroot powder (where to get it)
- 1 tsp hemp seeds (where to get it) or flaxseeds (where to get it)
- High speed blender (where to get it)
- Smoothie jar and straw (where to get it)
Directions
- Into a high speed blender, add all the ingredients except the hemp seeds/flaxseeds.
- Whizz away till smooth and lump-free.
- Pour into a smoothie jar and top with the seeds of your choice.
- Enjoy.
7. Prioritize Rest
Resting is so important when you have your period, let alone period cramps.
According to Ayurveda, an ancient traditional Indian medicine, menstruation is a period of cleansing, resting and rejuvenation.
Consider this a special time for deep rest and self-care. Get a full 8 hours sleep, take a nap during the day and make sure to take it easy with chores and movements. Let go and relax completely as your body sheds the old and starts anew.
I hope you benefit from the above 7 home remedies for menstrual cramps! Do you have any other tips of your own to share? Drop a comment below!
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