Most women will experience period pain at some point during their reproductive life. Some minor discomfort as your period starts is ok, but if your pain interrupts your daily activities or requires pain relief to manage it’s not normal. It’s certainly not something that you just have to put up with.
As your uterine lining starts to break down, your body produces inflammatory substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins cause the uterus to contract to help it shed the uterine lining as your period. If your body produces too many prostaglandins, these contractions can be painful. Prostaglandins can also impact other muscles, which is why period pain can sometimes radiate down your legs or into your back. It’s also why your bowel habits might change during your period.
In a healthy cycle, the inflammation caused by prostaglandins is well controlled. However if you’re getting pain, it’s time to think about why your level of inflammation might be high and what you can do about it.
If you regularly experience painful periods you can try:
An anti-inflammatory diet – eat lots of colourful fruits, veggies and plenty of fibre. Avoiding gluten and dairy can also be helpful.
Magnesium supplements – these can reduce prostaglandin production
Fish Oil – either as a supplement or by increasing small oily fish in your diet
Turmeric – in foods or as a supplement, turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory herb
Stress Management - using tools like meditation, breathing techniques, vagal nerve toning exercises and gentle movement can help improve your sensitivity to pain
It’s important to be consistent with your diet, just changing your habits during your period won’t be enough. While it can take several months to notice a big difference, you should see improvements in your pain levels along the way. If these strategies don’t help to improve your pain, I'm here to help. You can book a consultation or contact me for more information.
