How to Relieve Period Cramps – Doctor Tips for Dysmenorrhea

Aunt Flo, time of the month, whatever you like to call it, we all loathe it and the bells and whistles that come with it. The cramps feel like someone is sitting on your lower stomach and won’t get up. They are usually the first sign that the time is here. There are many things we all have tried to ease the pain of the cramps, sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.

• A heating pad can temporarily relieve some pain but you cant go to work or go grocery shopping with your heating pad.
• Sometimes medications like aspirin or NSAIDS or acetaminophen can help out a great deal, but sometimes it may not be enough alone.
• If you are not already on birth control, it may help to get on it because it will ease usually any irregularity you have as far as periods. At the very least, birth control can provide an accurate window of time where you know that Aunt Flo is coming so you are better able to plan for it.
• Another thing you can try to help with the cramping is to be physically active. Yes, it really does sound crazy because that’s something no one wants to do during their time of the month. Hear me out, what happens is the contractions in your uterus actually cause the blood vessels to constrict causing the discomfort. By being active, you can increase the blood flow to your uterus therefore reducing some of the discomfort.

If you feel you are hopeless and the monthly visits are just too hard to get through, you can always stop and see your OBGYN, who can first make sure everything is okay down there and there is not any underlying issues causing the pain. The experts in this will have more advice and solutions based on your individual situation after they have evaluated what is going on.