Although you might never look forward to that time of the month, regular menstrual cramps can make your period a drag — or even a debilitating pain in the back, literally. These strategies can help bring relief.
Turn up the heat. Take a hot bath, or place a heating pad or hot water bottle on your lower belly, just below your belly button, suggests Sherry Thomas, MD, MPH, a gynecologist at Los Angeles-based Mission Community Hospital. Those stick-on heat packs that you can find on drugstore shelves can work, too, if you don’t have time to sit at home. Heat opens vessels and improves blood flow, so pain dissipates.
K.O. the caffeine. “We advise patients who have a lot of menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms to limit caffeine,” says Bart D. Putterman, MD, an ob-gyn at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in Houston. That means no coffee or tea (unless it's decaf) and no caffeinated sodas, energy drinks, or chocolate. Caffeine can constrict blood vessels, which can cause cramps. Dr. Putterman says that some women may find proactively avoiding caffeine is best, but certainly avoid caffeine when you’re having a rough time.
Go herbal. Red raspberry leaf tea might reduce cramps, says Tosha Rogers, DO, an ob-gyn in the Atlanta area. It may decrease bleeding, which can mean less cramping. “Have a cup in the morning with breakfast or before you go to bed in the evening,” Dr. Rogers says. Avigael Barnett, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., says that cramp bark and black haw work for her cramps, which can get as bad as being in full labor. “I know it’s time to take some more when I feel pain coming back,” Barnett says. She likes the herbs because she doesn’t feel like “I'm drugging myself up — it's natural.” But there is no good medical evidence that these herbs are helpful for most people with cramps, and the possible dangers of using them are not known, so you should check with your ob-gyn before trying them. For women who get water retention along with cramps, dandelion tea can be a great herbal remedy, says Sara Chana, a classical homeopath and registered herbalist in Brooklyn.
Indulge in aromatherapy massage. Massages with lavender oil might be able to significantly reduce pain, a study of Turkish students with menstrual cramps published in the journal Pain Management Nursing found. Another study, done in Taiwan, found that acupressure of the ear provided relief from cramps in teens. Massage also helps you relax, Chana says, adding that "the more tense you are, the more you can cramp.”
Swing by the drugstore for OTC relief. Researchers at Brown University recommend trying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least three months to see whether they provide relief from cramps. Options include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) and naproxen (Aleve or Midol Extended Relief). These NSAIDs probably are most effective if you start them as soon as you feel any kind of cramping and continue taking them until the time when your cramping normally stops, Putterman says.
Talk with your doctor about prescription meds. If over-the-counter NSAIDs don’t help, there are prescription-strength versions that your doctor can prescribe, Putterman says. If your pain is really debilitating, your doctor may recommend oral contraceptives for cramp relief — several studies have confirmed that oral contraceptives also work to relieve cramp pain.
Get moving. Putterman recommends regular aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate up and makes you break out in a sweat. “The better shape you’re in and the more physically active you are, the less likely you are to suffer from chronic aches and pains, including menstrual cramps,” he says. Exercise also releases feel-good hormones known as endorphins. “They don’t take away your pain," he says, "but they can make it so you don’t care you have the pain.”
Bend and stretch with yoga. Yoga is high on Dr. Thomas’s list of remedies that provide relief from cramps. Poses that target the pelvis and lumbar region, where period pain is the worst, may be the most helpful. Experiment with different yoga poses for pain relief, and talk with a yoga instructor about what might work best for you.
When to Stop Going It Alone
Although you might be able to relieve your cramps with these remedies, don’t ignore your pain if it doesn’t go away or if it becomes more severe than normal. The following symptoms could be warning signs of a more serious health issue and merit a call to your doctor:
Your pain lasts longer than you’re accustomed to. “If your pain doesn’t go away when your period stops, you should seek medical help,” Putterman says.
You have a fever.
You start vomiting or feel nauseated.
You’re bleeding more heavily than normal.
You think you could be pregnant.
You don’t need to suffer from menstrual cramps each month. Try these remedies and consult with your doctor to find what works best for you.
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