Blog post for a menstrual cup company

It’s that time of the month again. As if the bleeding, mood swings, nausea, back pain, lethargy, hormonal acne, sugar cravings, and tenderness weren’t enough, you also have to deal with the ever-so-delightful menstrual cramping.

Is this the worst period symptom? Well, around 80% of people who have periods experience menstrual pain, and around 5-10% of those say that they have had period cramps bad enough that it has disrupted their life. Yikes.

It’s safe to say that cramps are the worst.

So, how can we get rid of period cramps?

If you’re currently doubled over the keyboard, wondering how to ease the pain, look no further. Let’s go ahead and get right into it, to get you feeling better, quickly.

1. Midol/Tylenol

There is no shame in the Midol game. Even while I try to be minimal with the Tylenol in my life, if there was ever a time to break it out, it’s during that time of the month. If taking a couple is the only way you’re going to make it to 5 o’clock to be able to rush home and put on your sweatpants and break out the chocolate, go for it.

A heating pad or heat compress are both great for getting rid of period cramps.

2. Heating pad/heat compress

I forgot about the wonders of the heating pad for years, even though they were my first menstrual-cramp savior. If you work from home, grab your heating pad or a hot compress and lay it in your lap while at your desk (or let’s be real, laying on the couch).

3. Take hormonal birth control

That’s right – the pill has positive side effects too! While the right pill for your body chemistry will need to be determined by you and your doctor, hormonal birth control can help with menstrual symptoms, and for some, it can even make your period go away completely. Score!

4. Use a menstrual cup instead of tampons 

Did you know that one of the culprits of period cramps could be your period product? It seems counterintuitive because it is. Tampons don’t cause period cramps – but they can make your existing period cramps worse. If you’re experiencing this, it might be time to ditch the tampon.

Luckily, there are far more options available these days than even 10-15 years ago. One of these options that claim to lessen menstrual cramps, is menstrual cups. These silicone cups, which also come in disc form, tend to be easier to insert and are more leak-proof.

If you want to try out the menstrual product that you can wear for up to 12 hours, The Period Cup, click here.

5. Drink lots of water 

We all know we should probably be drinking more water than we are – but if you’re an individual with a cycle, you’ll definitely want to be sure that you’re drinking lots of H2O during the week. Not only does it help relieve some of the bloating associated with menstruation, but it can also be a pain reliever.

6. Get your hormone levels checked

Sometimes menstrual symptoms can be worsened due to a hormonal imbalance. Ask your doctor to run bloodwork to check for things like your progestin, estrogen, and testosterone levels to make sure that nothing is out of balance. If there is an imbalance, most of the time it can be remedied by taking hormonal birth control, or hormonal supplement.

7. Massage the lower stomach with your favorite essential oil

If applying pressure is helpful, try grabbing your favorite essential oil and massaging your lower stomach to lessen the pain. You can ask your partner to do this for you, or put on some relaxing music and just relax…which can also be extremely helpful.

8. Get some rest

Sometimes you just need to go home or log off and nap. Did you know that stress could actually be making your period symptoms worse? It can, according to this study. Researchers found that physical and psychological symptoms worsened with more stress, and symptoms reduced with less stress. When you’re on your period, especially on the days when you cramp the most (generally the first few days of your cycle), try to lay on the couch and read a book or watch TV, or just take a nap.

9. Avoid foods that cause bloating - fried food, salty food, caffeine, and alcohol.

Avoiding foods that cause bloating can alleviate some of the pressure you feel with cramps. However, I know that these are the foods that I crave while on my period, so instead of going cold turkey, next cycle maybe try to cut down on these foods. And feel free to curse your period for ruining your day in yet another way.

Instead of drinking caffeine or alcohol, you can try to replace it with something that’s actually going to help get rid of your period cramps.

Ginger is an effective pain killer - try brewing it into a tea to help ease period cramps.

10. Drink some ginger tea.

Ginger tea isn’t just yummy – it can be an effective pain killer. Studies show that ginger can be as powerful (if not more effective) of a pain reliever as acetaminophen (Tylenol). Why not give it a try? You can even brew your own if you want to feel extra fancy. 

11. Take a hot bath with Epsom salt

Epsom salt helps relieve muscle pain – so it’s safe to say that it can help get rid of period cramps. Draw yourself a hot bath – even a couple of days before your period, but especially during the days that you cramp the most – and just relax for a bit.  

12. Exercise/stretch/do yoga

I know this may be the last thing you want to do, but working out the abdominal area can provide relief from period cramps. Even gentle stretching, such as doing the cat/cow yoga pose can help to increase the flow of oxygen, and relax the body. Both of these things help to get rid of period cramps.

13. See a doctor

If you’re experiencing intense/unmanageable pain from cramping, it could be a sign that something is wrong. Ask your doctor about conditions such as PCOS, Endometriosis, and ovarian cysts that could be causing this kind of pain. While most people with periods experience menstrual pain, more painful cramps than usual or extreme period pain could be a sign of an underlying issue.

While period cramps suck, relieving them is possible. You could even make a whole evening out of it, to make it feel more fun – make some ginger tea, do some yoga, take a hot bath with Epsom salt, rest and massage your lower stomach, and then cozy up with a heating pad and watch your favorite TV show.

You can also give a gift to your future menstruating self, and go ahead and get a menstrual cup. Many find that it helps to get rid of or lessen cramps, and will also let you go for up to 12-hours of leak-proof protection, so you can at least ignore one aspect of your period.

Using a menstrual cup instead of tampons can help get rid of period cramps.

Some other benefits of The Period Cup menstrual cup are:

• Up to 12-hours of leak-proof protection

• Sustainably made and environmentally friendly, as it’s reusable for up to 2 years!

• Easily washable – just boil it water for 7 minutes

• Far more affordable than tampons – a one-time purchase that lasts 2 years = 6 months of tampon use.

I hope these tips on how to get rid of period cramps were helpful, and that your next cycle sucks just a little bit less with these tips.