How to Manage Period Pain and Cramps

Many women with regular cycles experience pain before or during their periods. This is due to the shrinking of the uterus and usually causes discomfort but does not interfere with daily functioning. Sometimes, however, the pain during menstruation is very severe or accompanied by other symptoms, making it impossible to undertake activities. Menstrual pains are crampy abdominal pains that occur during menstruation. They occur at the end of the menstrual cycle, i.e. when no eggs have been fertilised during the passing cycle and a pregnancy has not developed.

Menstrual cramps occur when the lining of the uterus, which has built up in preparation for pregnancy, needs to flake off and leave the body. For this to happen, the uterine muscles alternately contract and relax. These contractions can in turn cause crampy menstrual pains. Not everyone experiences these. Some feel only slight discomfort, while others experience pain in the lower abdomen or sharp pain radiating to the legs and back. Other symptoms that may accompany menstrual pain include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhoea.
  

However, it is important to remember that although menstrual pain is common, acute pain caused by these cramps is not. You should consult your doctor if you have acute pain, if it impedes your daily functioning or if it intensifies over time. These symptoms may suggest that there are other factors behind what appears to be normal, expected menstrual pain.

Learning how to manage period pain and menstrual cramps can be hugely helpful in adjusting to menstruation and enjoying puberty as best you can. How to get rid of period pain? It all depends on your body, sometimes home remedies are enough to relieve period pain and sometimes you need to see a doctor.

How to manage period cramps? Here are our best tips for how to get rid of period pain (or at least decrease the pain):