Here we go, another article in my “…Period” series! Last time I talked a lot about things that, when ingested, or not, can alleviate bad cramps and other menstrual symptoms. But, that isn’t everything that you can do.
I neglected to include chocolate in my period food article because there seems to be no consensus. Some say that chocolate is bad because of dairy, sugar, and fats. However, chocolate also has positive effects including its chemical properties that cause it to be a vasodilator. This means that chocolate can actually open up your blood vessels which reduces the pain level of cramps. Also, it provides emotional support! So, it’s really up to you if you want to eat chocolate on your period; I know for sure I do. 😎
The other thing that I ingest copious amounts of during my period is ibuprofen!! You have to be careful, and only do this if a medical professional says it’s okay, but I’m out here taking 800-1,000 milligrams of Advil every 8 hours when I am cramping, and STILL in pain. It helps a lot, but changing what I eat and loading up on ibuprofen has its limitations. So, what else can you do for your cramps?
Heat, in addition to chocolate, is a vasodilator. Applying heat to the areas in pain can greatly reduce the said pain. While I normally use warmies, or microwaveable stuffed animals filled with rice, I’ve recently upgraded to a plug-in heating pad that I won’t have to keep reheating. Other options could be a hot water bottle or filling an old sock with rice. To be honest though, this method frustrates me because I have pain all through my pelvis, so heating from the front and back can mean uncomfortable positions that kind of negate the whole process. In addition, I find it really frustrating that the relief only lasts while heat is actively being applied.
Similarly, baths are a temporary form of keeping cramps at bay. My bathtub is comically shallow, so shallow in fact that I could barely even get my uterus under the water when I took a bath during a particularly bad cramp day. Epsom salt soaks are great for any pain, but still, because periods are an active shedding of the uterine lining, sitting in a vat of hot water is only really going to help while you are sitting in that vat of hot water. It did help me sleep better that night, so there’s a plus!
A more long term form of period care, especially for those who have PCOS or endometriosis, might be acupuncture! My dad loves acupuncture and when I told him I was considering it for my menstrual cramps, he said we should go together, lol. HC writer Alison can also attest to the healing of acupuncture which got rid of her wrist pain completely! I have yet to try it, but I’m really interested to see how different medicine practices might actually be more effective than western medicine.
Another thing I have yet to try is CBD. I have a huge anxiety hang up with anything related to marijuana because my high school health class was very successful in scaring me. Thus, I probably won’t be trying it anytime soon, at least until I’m able to work through my irrational fear that even just a topical CBD oil will ruin my life. 🤩
Of course, the main long-term solution for period cramps is always going to be exercise. Even if it’s the Tiktok famous 12-3-30 a few times a week or morning yoga, exercising on a consistent basis is the sure-fire way to reduce your period pain. TBH just walking from East Remote to Merrill instead of taking the bus did a lot for me. And don’t get it twisted—this has nothing to do with losing weight. Absolutely not. Exercising at any weight and mobility level has magical healing properties that will somehow greatly improve uterine health.
It can be really hard to have the energy for all of this self care, especially the exercise, if you’re like me and struggle with fatigue. No matter what your energy level normally is, it might take a sharp nosedive while you’re on your period. For me, it’s more important to take things easy and rest while I’m menstruating, otherwise I don’t have the energy to get through the day. This is part of having PMDD, but even if you don’t have that diagnosis, you might still benefit from the way that I balance exercising for my cramps and resting for my fatigue.
To be quite honest, I am always going to prioritize rest when I can in all facets of my life. I’m tired all the time and have an unhealthy emotional dependency on my weighted blanket. But, I try to push myself more when I’m not actively menstruating. While I should be exercising more, I try to do that in the in-between so that the week that I’m on my period is reserved for laying in bed as much as I can. This way, I can focus more on what I’m eating, my heating pad, and emotional status instead of forcing myself to exercise when it’s the last thing I can handle.
When even just sitting at my desk to do homework takes all of my energy, exercising has to be put on hold and that’s okay! It’s better to learn from what others do than to be a carbon-copy. Perhaps exercising on your period will make you feel like you have more energy and feel better about yourself. Maybe treating yourself to all of the things you’re technically not supposed to eat is the only way that you can get through it emotionally. Regardless, your body is your temple, it is up to you to decide how you want to worship. For me, next up on the list of things to try is getting stabbed by a bunch of acupuncture needles.