Stop smoking and avoid alcohol. Both substances have been found to make menstrual cramps much worse.Ī study published in October 2017 in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies concluded that women who practiced yoga 30 minutes per day, two days a week, for 12 weeks at home had a significant improvement in menstrual pain and physical fitness over the control group.Some find great period pain relief with a soak in a hot bath or shower. Heat Try using a heating pad or microwaveable warm cozy on your abdomen during your period.Exercise Physical activity, particularly yoga, may ease the pain of menstrual cramps.Relaxation While emotional stress may increase your period pain, meditation and relaxation exercises can reduce their severity.Dietary supplements Some findings report that natural dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium may reduce period pain.If you have period pain, here are some home-care treatments to consider: Other risk factors include use of an intrauterine device (IUD), uterine fibroid tumor, and sexually transmitted diseases. Pelvic inflammatory disease can scar your fallopian tubes, which increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg implants outside your uterus. Endometriosis can cause fertility problems.

Some studies show that women with severe menstrual cramps have stronger uterine contractions than others do when giving birth.Īccording to Mayo Clinic, certain conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are associated with menstrual cramps. When you have strong uterine contractions, the blood supply to the uterus is momentarily shut down, depriving the uterus muscle of oxygen and setting up the cycle of menstrual cramps and pain. Throbbing or cramping pain in your uterus during the periodīut what causes cramps during your period? Menstrual cramps are generally categorized as “primary dysmenorrhea,” which is caused by the elevated production of prostaglandins, hormones produced by the uterus that cause it to contract.Menstrual cramps that radiate to your lower back and thighs.With menstrual cramps, mild to intense abdominal cramping begins within 24 hours of the start of your period and continues for days. However, crippling period pain, heavy bleeding, serious fatigue, and other symptoms that affect your quality of life are not. It seems that when it comes to that time of the month, mild cramps, bloating, and irritability - although nuisances - are all to be expected. What causes menstrual cramps? Most women ask this question at some time in their life.

Painful or irregular periods