Friday, April 2, 2010

Easing Menstrual pain

Its that time of the month again and its killing me. So this time, to divert my mind, I decided to share some useful things you can try at home to feel slightly better the next time you get hit by this evil pain.( Guys who think "ohwhatsthebigdeal" can keep their smart alec quips to themselves.no, its not PMS, its YOU.)

1.Food- Avoid over eating at this time. It is better to have small amounts at regular intervals throughout the day than have three large meals at one go. Take care to control salt intake as salt will cause water retention resulting in bloating. Junk food and other fatty food especially fried food are a strict no-no.Avoid meat and dairy products though fish can be very good for you.Include vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, and fruits in your diet.Anything containing caffeine- coffee, cola, chocolate is OUT OF BOUNDS as is alcohol(you have NO idea how much they could hurt). But drinking anything warm will help so tea, especially herbal tea and warm milk are your new best friends. Dates, cranberry juice and Chawanprash cleanse your blood and ease pain. Not eating healthy at this time could also give you gas. Gas+Cramps= ouchouchouch. Drink lats and lots and lots of water.( You are supposed to drink four litres everyday on normal days, so have around 5 during your periods)

2. Exercise- Exercise can do wonders in easing the pain. Walking for about 30 to 45 minutes will help relax your abdominal muscles.there are also some easy Yoga postures you could try. One is lying on your back with your knees bent,slowly bring your knees towards tour chest and "hug" them for about 5 to 10 seconds. While doing so make sure you aren't putting too much pressure on your lower back.Repeat this 10 times atleast.The second Exercise is similar but in the opposite way.Sit straight backed with your legs under you in a kneeling position-so your bottom( for want of elegance) should be touching your heals and your thighs should be touching your calves.Now put your hands behind you or in front on the floor depending on your comfort,and bend till your head touches the floor and your chest touches your knees.Again, be careful to not hurt your lower back. You could also just sit straight backed and slowly breathe in and breathe out.

3.Heat- Anything that provides heat to the abdomen would ease pain. A warm water bath can work wonders. So can a Heat Pad or a hot water bottle placed on your abdomen.

Remember, these do not work for everybody.The whole point is to just relax your muscles and get the blood flowing without hiccups.So the diet is a must but the rest is up to you. Simply lying down and listening to soothing music may also do the trick for you.Get your hubby or your mommy to do a back massage for you!I do not personally take painkillers due to an unexplained fear of stomach ulcers(yes, painkillers give you ulcers) but a lot of the people I know use non steroid ibuprofen or even oral contraceptive pills.

And now I shall go kill someone(its not YOU, its PMS). Have a Happy Period.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shreya, of course I cannot imagine what you ladies have to go through but I hope I can give an addition to your blog. I trained to do Reflexology which as you probably know is based around the feet but, it can also be carried out on the hands so you can do your own treatment without others knowing. For example while sitting on the train or bus.

I found that many of the ladies I gave a treatment to who were experiencing their monthly cycle, got significant relief from the cramps, during and after reflexology. Repeat visits continued to improve it.

During our discussion groups many female trainees agreed that they too had experienced some relief. It's just a thought for you to try another technique. I'll bugger off now before you throw the screen at me. Mart.

Lucy Fur said...

hahaha...not at all Mart!As I said, its only guys don't get it who are not welcome!:D...

Infact, Me and the readers too would be grateful if you could elaborate!anything that helps!anything!

Anonymous said...

The Foot
Using the thumb or forefinger massage in loose circle from under the ankle on the inside of the foot and slowly move across the top of the foot to the other side and then do the same coming back. Then press firmly with the forefinger just below the ankle for 5 secs. Keep repeating this sequence for 5 minutes or so and then change feet. Any tenderness in this region is an indication of tension and may be symptomatic of your condition.

The Hand
The thumb represents the inner part of the ankle so try to replicate the process you do with the feet but moving across the top of the hand. The hand is easier because you can perform this process regularly without anyone noticing. However, it's best commenced 7 days before your cycle begins to get a continuous affect but as I said, some women benefit straight away.

Give it a go, can't do any harm and it's very relaxing anyway. Mart.

Lucy Fur said...

thank you SO very much Mart!i tried it and it was extremely relaxing!

Journomuse said...

I have a couple of friends who see my FB status updates and send me a quick are you PMSing message..I can feel the engine inside me going grrrrrrrrr...around the time...

wonder if there is anything to control mood fluctuations...I go from la di da giggly happy to drama queen melancholic....:)

Lucy Fur said...

hahaha:D...its true, though PMS is a butt of jokes most of the times, it can actually be a very chronic phase!I ll post something on it too some time perhaps!:)