Monday, April 12, 2010

Relieve Menstrual Cramps Fast

Get Rid of Period Cramps and Discomfort








One of the worst parts about "that time of the month", more commonly referred to as your period, are intensely painful uterine cramps. Period cramps can be so bad that they interfere with your life and make you want to stay curled up in the bed all day long. If menstrual cramps are putting a cramp in your day follow these tips to be on your way to relief.


Instructions


1. Take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever such as Advil or Aleve. These will not only reduce the pain but they will also relax the muscles and soothe the inflamed uterine tissue caused by your cramps.


2. Take advantage of therapeutic heat to relax your menstrual cramps. You can either use a traditional heating pad on a low to medium setting or go with a more portable option such as a heat wrap. Therapeutic heat can be a major life savor during the days when your period cramps are the worst.


3. Say yes to milk. Calcium is your best friend during your period. Consume dairy products such as milk and cheese when you are experiencing painful cramps. Calcium is known for its muscle soothing abilities and studies have shown that women who get adequate amounts of calcium in their diet have far less severe menstrual cramps. Don't have any milk handy? You can chew a couple of Tums to get the calcium your body needs when dairy products are not available.








4. Don't forget about calcium's buddy, magnesium. Magnesium aids the body's ability to absorb and use calcium. Increasing your magnesium intake during your cycle will help your body put that cramp soothing calcium to good use.


5. Sip a cup of hot ginger tea. Ginger is widely used as a natural remedy for menstrual disorders of all kinds, particularly painful period cramps. Brew a cup of ginger tea and add a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of honey. Not only will the ginger help ease your discomfort, but honey is a natural anti-inflammatory and will ease painful uterine inflammation.


6. One approach for reliving intense uterine cramps is to apply natural progesterone cream to your lower abdomen. The theory behind this is that the hormone estrogen is responsible for uterine cramping and discomfort. Progesterone is the hormone in a woman's body that counteracts and keeps estrogen in balance. Adding progesterone would decrease the levels of estrogen in your body. However, natural progesterone creams are not FDA regulated and they have yet to be scientifically proven as effective for the relief of uterine cramps. But many women swear by this remedy despite lack of clinical evidence of effectiveness.

Tags: menstrual cramps, uterine cramps, your body, your period, body that