Ladies, ever been told to “suck it up” when that time of the month comes around. We are women, we just have to deal with it, right? ….. Absolutely NOT!
Although common, period pain is not normal. You should be able to have a period with little to no pain at all. If you are experiencing a slight twinge here and there, that is acceptable however anything more, requiring pain relief (panadol, nurofen, ponstan etc.) is not normal.
Period pain can be caused by many different factors. The most common being:
Poor gut health / IBS / SIBO etc.
A diet high in inflammatory foods (alcohol, refined sugar, gluten, diary)
Hormonal imbalances
Fibroids
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
Immune dysregulation & autoimmune disease
Furthermore, your period should not be too heavy, bright red in colour on your heaviest days, have minimal to no clotting and come & go without affecting your day to day activities.
Although it is important to address the underlying cause/s of your period pain, symptomatic relief is most certainly necessary to get through those tough days. Here are some of my favorite tips to reduce period pain:
HEAT: a nice warm shower or bath, heat pack or hot water bottle
TENS MACHINE: to help reduce cramping
HERBAL TEAS: turmeric, ginger, cramp bark, cinnamon
GENTLE MOVEMENT: walking & stretching
HEY SISTER: a natural anti-inflammatory herbal supplement that is available to the public & targeted at those experiencing period pain. I use this in my clinic!
If you are someone who dreads that time of the month, book a Naturopathic consult today to get on top of your period pain!
Stay tuned for more health education & tips.
Written by Shannon Jolly, Gut Health & Women’s Health Naturopath, November 2024
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