TOPICS COVER IN THIS BLOG:
- How to Get Rid of Cramps?
- What Causes Menstrual Cramps?
- How to Get Rid of Period Cramps Fast At Home?
- How to Get Rid of Cramps Fast in Bed?
- How to Get Rid of Muscle Cramps?
- How to Get Rid of a Cramp in Your Leg?
- How to Get Rid of Cramps in You Stomach?
- Do Uterine Fibroids Cause Cramps?
- What Are Fibroids and Why Do They Cause Cramping?
- Treatment for Fibroid Menstrual Cramps
- How to Get Rid of Bad Cramps?
How to Get Rid of Cramps?
If you’re one of the one in eight women who experience period cramps during your menstrual cycle, your time of the month is probably the worst time of the month.
Cramps are unquestionably the worst, but because so many of us experience them,
it’s easy to dismiss them as a side effect of being on your period. However, there’s no reason why you should be in excruciating discomfort every month for the next few decades.
Who has time for that, really? How do you get rid of cramps? Fortunately, we spoke with fibroid medical experts at USA Fibroid Centers to gather all the information you need about cramping. So, the next time you’re blaming your uterus, try these suggestions for some much-needed respite on how to get rid of cramps.
Be aware that severe cramps can be signs of underlying health conditions such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or uterine fibroids. If your menstrual cramps are severe, we suggest you discuss this with a medical professional as soon as possible.
What causes menstrual cramps?
It helps to first contemplate why we even get a period in the first place to comprehend why period cramps occur.
Every month, a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy as part of her regular reproductive cycle.
Menstruation, often known as a period, is when the uterus sheds its lining. The objective of this is to help prepare the uterus for receiving and feeding a fertilized egg. With this shedding comes the release of blood and tissue from inside the uterus.
But periods also come with symptoms ranging from annoying to painful, including cramps.
The uterus’ muscles and blood vessels flex to lose its lining. Cramping in the lower abdomen and back may occur because of these contractions. Period cramps can affect women in different ways. Some suffer little discomfort, while others have significant pain that makes daily tasks difficult.
After menstruation — which lasts anywhere from three to seven days — your uterine lining regrows and thickens. As more time passes, ovulation occurs.
If no fertilized egg is present after ovulation, it’s a signal to your body that it’s time to start the menstrual cycle over again. With that said, you may be wondering, ‘how do I get rid of cramps with a monthly cycle?
Best Way To Get Rid of Cramps
Here are some of the very best suggestions on getting rid of cramps that may provide relief:
- Essential oils. A study in the Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine,1 found that fish oil can be extremely useful in treating menstrual cramps. Simply take the fish oil pills as you would Ibuprofen. Similarly, research has found that lavender and sesame oil will also relieve pain. 2 To use these, rub them into your stomach like you would for a massage.
- Over-the-counter pain medication. It should come as no surprise that taking a pain reliever might help you feel better. Ibuprofen reduces the number of prostaglandins in your body, which are hormones that induce uterine cramps, pain, and inflammation. You don’t have to wait until you’re in excruciating agony to take a pain reliever—if your cycle is fairly regular and you know when your period is approaching, you might be able to prevent cramps before they begin. You may consider using a period tracker to help map out your cycle.
“Take pain relievers at the very beginning of your period, before cramps become intense,” our fibroid experts advise. “Just make sure you follow the dosage recommendations to understand how to get rid of pain if cramps are severe.”
- Heat. If your cramps are making it impossible to get comfortable, try snuggling up with a heating pad or hot water bottle against your belly, or soaking in a hot bath. Heat will increase blood flow to the area, and it relaxes the contracting muscles that are causing the pain.
- Light exercise. A walk or a few minutes of yoga will suffice. Stretching and cardiovascular exercise aid with the creation of endorphins, which are your body’s feel-good hormones. Endorphins alter the way your brain perceives pain, so if you can get beyond the initial few minutes of I-don’t-want-to-do-this, a sweat session can make you feel better and get rid of cramps.
- Yoga. Yoga offers many health benefits including pain relief. Ekhart yoga offers online and free classes including one to relieve menstrual cramps. These positions are recommended as ways to help you get rid of cramps:
- Child’s Pose: Start on your hands and knees, with your knees about hip-width apart and your big toes touching each other. Keeping your hands on the floor and arms outstretched, rock your butt back towards your heels and lower your torso to the floor. This pose can help with lower back pain.
- Half Camel Pose: Kneel upright on the floor (so your butt isn’t resting on your heels) and reach back with your right hand to touch your right ankle, keeping your hips pressed forward. Repeat on your left side.
- Seated Forward Fold: Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, bending forward as far as you can comfortably. Deep folds, like a back rub for your crampy uterus, massage the organs in your abdominal cavity.
- Other yoga poses: Check out recommendations to help soothe larger muscles, relieve stomach pains, and get rid of leg cramps.
- Cramp-fighting foods. Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and magnesium have been shown to reduce inflammation and help relieve cramps, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
- Ginger Tea. Studies have shown ginger to be effective as a pain reliever. Ginger is also good for digestion and alleviating stomach pain.
- Water. While drinking water won’t make your cramps go away, it can help. If you’re bloated, water can assist with that, so there’s one less thing to make you feel bad. Also, take it easy on caffeine because it can aggravate pain by constricting blood vessels and raising tension levels.
- Call the doctor. Speak with your doctor if nothing seems to be working. They can look for any underlying issues, such as endometriosis, that could be causing your cramps to be extremely uncomfortable. Cramps are common, but they shouldn’t keep you from living your life, so if you’ve done everything and are still in pain every month, see your doctor.
- Know your family history. There is a constant correlation between fibroids and heredity, according to studies. You are predisposed to fibroids if your mother, grandmother, or sibling had them. In fact, according to the Office of Women’s Health, your chances of getting them are nearly three times higher. If fibroids run in your family, then ask your doctor to do an ultrasound screening to confirm if fibroids are causing your discomfort.
How to Get Rid of Period Cramps Fast At Home
While these suggestions on how to get rid of cramps may be useful, it is important to evaluate if your period symptoms are typical and the best way to treat them at home.
You can have random period symptoms, like cramps or bloating, and not have your period, which is called Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). Then again, you may be wondering how to get rid of cramping because you are about to get your period. However, it’s possible that other health conditions, such as fibroids are causing your discomfort. The list above provides many helpful ways to alleviate cramps fast while at home.
How to Get Rid of Cramps Fast in Bed
If you are trying to get rid of cramps while you are in bed or trying to rest, here are a few suggestions that can help.
- Apply heat. Heat can help relax the muscles contributing to cramping, so applying heat to your abdomen or back can help relieve your pain. A heating pad, either electric or water bottle can be effective.
- Take a pain reliever. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help reduce inflammation and reduce pain because they work on the part of the brain that receives pain messages. Pain medication works best when it’s taken before the pain at its highest level, so take it when you first feel uncomfortable.
- Exercise. Try leg lifts that can help reduce the tension in your abdomen.
- Use pillows. Larger pillows can help you find a more comfortable position because they can help reduce the pressure around your hips.
How to Get Rid of Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps are painful contractions and tightening of your muscles. While they are common, they are unpredictable. Stretching and massage will help. Other things you can try include:
- Stretch the affected area.
- Massage the affected area with your hands or a massage roller.
- Stand up and walk around.
- Apply heat or ice. Put an ice pack together or apply a heating pad or take a nice warm bath.
- Take painkillers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
How to Get Rid of a Cramp in Your Leg
Leg Pain Cramps. Pain from monthly cramps, usually in the lower abdomen, can “spread” to other areas of the body. You may be wondering about how to get rid of leg cramps.
When you should be worried: There are some more serious issues, like fibroids, that can cause leg cramps during your period. While it might be surprising to know, leg pain caused by fibroids is quite common. Fibroids may contribute to sciatica. The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back down the back of each leg. If fibroids are pressing against the nerve, it can cause radiating pain down either or both legs.
Back and Side Pain Cramps. These are two other totally typical symptoms, though, again, they shouldn’t be too unbearable and should be easily alleviated with the help of some OTC (over the counter) medication.
When you should be worried? “There are some people who end up in bed, they end up missing school or work because of their cramps,” says our fibroid specialists. “If that’s the way your periods are affecting you, you definitely should see a physician because there’s a lot of different things, we can do to help with that.“
Cramps can be painful, but they shouldn’t interfere with your daily life—you shouldn’t have to miss work and events because you’re on your period. If that’s the case for you, head to the doctor. It may just be as simple as them prescribing a stronger pain med, but it could also be something more serious.
If the pain becomes too much to handle, this could be a sign of endometriosis or something more serious. That’s when you should call your doctor to get checked out.
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How to Get Rid of Cramps in Stomach
Pain in your stomach caused by cramps can be eased by:
- Placing a hot water bottle on your stomach
- Drinking clear fluids such as water
- Reducing your intake of coffee, tea, and alcohol as these can make the pain worse.
- Massaging the stomach muscles to try to relax them
- Over-the-counter pain relievers
- Rest
Do Uterine Fibroids Cause Cramps?
One potential cause of cramps is uterine fibroids. While they are noncancerous, these growths can be a source of pain, and cause fullness in the pelvis along with abnormal bleeding. They may cause discomfort in the pelvis or lower back or pain during sex. Fibroids may also cause excessive bleeding, cramping, or both during menstruation.
What Are Fibroids and Why Do They Cause Cramping?
Uterine fibroids are common, noncancerous growths that develop on or inside of the uterus. They can vary in type, size, and number. Although many women with fibroids don’t experience symptoms at all, others are severely impacted.
Fibroids can range in size from as small as an apple seed to as large as a watermelon. Although fibroids are not usually dangerous, that doesn’t mean they don’t come with a host of problematic symptoms. Women with fibroids can deal with everything from heavy and painful periods to intense cramps and back pain.
Common fibroid symptoms include:
- Heavy and prolonged menstruation between or during your periods
- Anemia, which can lead to fatigue
- Pain during intercourse
- Increased menstrual cramping
- Stomach swelling
- Frequent urination
- Constipation and/or bloating
- Pain in your pelvis or lower back
Treatment for Fibroid Menstrual Cramps
Cramps can make performing daily activities like attending work and school close to impossible. Many women continue to put up with painful cramping and pressure because they are unaware that there are non-surgical procedures available.
Many women believe that a hysterectomy, the complete removal of the uterus, is their only available treatment option. Fortunately, this isn’t true. There exists a range of effective fibroid treatments, including both surgical and non-surgical methods.
At USA Fibroid Centers, our experts specialize in a minimally invasive, office-based fibroid treatment called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). UFE can shrink your fibroids, alleviate severe cramps, reduce heavy periods, and quickly return you to normal life.
UFE does not require a hospital stay or involve prolonged time off work. It is performed as an outpatient procedure that allows you to go home the same day to begin your recovery. Best of all, most women are back to their normal activities within one to two weeks.
Perhaps more than anything else, we want you to understand that you have options when it comes to fibroid treatment. If you wish to avoid surgery and leave your uterus fully intact, Uterine Fibroid Embolization may be right for you.
How to Get Rid of Bad Cramps
The unfortunate reality for many women with fibroids is that performing daily activities can be challenging and sometimes impossible. Many women continue to suffer from painful cramping and pelvic pressure because they are unaware of available non-surgical treatments. If you are one of these women, it’s time to stop wondering how to get rid of bad cramps and take action.
Whether you have severe cramps with heavy menstrual bleeding or cramps with no period, our fibroid specialists are available to help. Our experts provide education and guidance as you begin to explore your treatment options. We can also help determine which method of treatment is best for you.
You can choose from dozens of clinic locations across the country, as well as telemedicine options, at USA Fibroid Centers. Please call us today to learn more about minimally invasive uterine fibroid treatment.
