What can help period pain – Part 3?

While taking nutritional supplements suits some women, I know others don’t like taking tablets.  So here are a couple of other ideas to assist you with your period pain.

There is scientific evidence that from a trail of women who suffer from period pain that certain yoga poses e.g. cobra, cat and fish reduce both the intensity and duration of period pain.  The cobra pose is where you lie on your front, with your hand underneath your shoulders and gently push yourself up bending your back as you come up.  The cat pose is when you are on all fours and then round your spine like a cat.  The fish pose is when you lie on your back, keep your pelvis and head on the floor and an arch your spine towards the ceiling.

As an aromatherapist there are a variety of essential oils that you can use to help reduce the severity of period pain.  Aromatherapists split period pain into two categories:

  • Congestive dysmenorrhoea – where the pain starts a few days before the period and can cover the whole abdominal area.
  • Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea which comes in spams of pain in the pelvis and/or lower back.

For congestive pain:

10 drops of roman chamomile + 5 drops of clay sage and 15 drops of red thyme in 30 ml of a base massage oil.

For spasmodic pain:

5 drops of lavender, 10 drops of peppermint, 10 drops of nutmeg and 5 drops of cypress in 30 ml of a base massage oil.

In both cases you massage the whole abdomen and lower back daily throughout your period.

References:

Yoga poses >> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21514190

Related Posts

  • Tai Chi and Chronic Pain

    Tai chi is a ancient chinese mind-body exercise that is low impact, that is like a moving meditation.  You move in slow-motion to stretch and strengthen muscles. The phyisical benefits of Tai Chi are that it improves balance, flexibility, coordination, muscle strenght and stamina hence why some people think it helps them stay young.  On the mental side, Tai Chi helps releive stress, improves body awareness and when done in a group setting reduces social isolation. Some recent research shows Tai Chi can help benefit people with ongoing painful conditions suchs as

    • osteoarthritis
    • fibromyalgia
    • rheumatoid arthritis
    • tension headaches
    In one trail, 66 people with fibromyalgia were randomised into two groups: one took tahi chi classes twice weekly, the other group attended wellness education and stretching classes twice a week.  After 12 weeks, those in the Tai Chi group reported
    • less pain
    • fewer depresession symptoms
    • better sleep
    when compared to the control group.  This study suggest that Tai Chi may assist those who have an ongoing painful condition manage their pain and improve their general sense of wellness. References Wang C, Schmid CH et al, 2o10, A randomized trail of Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia, New England Journal of Medicine, 363(8):743-54  

  • What to expect from a sports or deep tissue massage.

    First let me reassure you if you haven't been to us before that we don't do any unnecessary nakedness.  If you want you can wear gym shorts but it is no necessary. On your first visit you will be asked to fill out a consultation form and we will discuss why you booked.  At the start of subsequent treatments we may ask you about your response to our last treatment or if there has been a long gap, your reason for booking.  If there has been a significant gap we may ask you to fill out a consultation form again, especially if it has been archived. While we are all able to use oils, we tend to use a sports wax as it doesn't stain your clothes and it is odorless and one brand we use is nut free too. During the massage we will use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms to treat you.  You may be asked to breathe deeply as we works on tense areas.  Most of our clients want deep pressure.  However there are times when we need to use a lighter sustained pressure on some restrictions to achieve a myofascial release. We may get you to move position on the massage bed to give us better access to certain muscles or to treat the opposing muscle.  For example, if we have worked on your upper back we may need to open up your chest, particularly your pec muscles. We may stretch your muscles ourselves or ask you to move your body in a certain way to stretch it or to see how it reacts to the movement.      

  • How to prevent gallstones

    Although no definite preventive technique for gallstone development has been discovered yet, research shows that there are ways people can lower their risk for these stones.

    Refrain From Taking These Medications

    If you are taking any of these medications, remember that the following can increase your risk for gallstones:
    Cholesterol-lowering drugs: Medicines like gemfibrozil (Lopid) and fenofibrate (Tricor) can increase your gallstone risk. Although they may decrease your blood cholesterol levels, these medicines can also increase the amount of cholesterol released in bile. Hormone therapy: HRT is a general term referring to the administration of estrogen or a combination of estrogen/progestin therapy. Increased estrogen levels can cause the body to produce more cholesterol and raise the levels of it in bile. As such, if you are a woman who is undergoing HRT or is taking high-dose birth control pills, talk to your doctor about your gallstone risk and ask if there are other hormone-related medications that are better for you.

    A Healthy Lifestyle Can Lower Your Gallstone Risk

    Decreasing your risk for gallstones begins with a healthy lifestyle, specifically by following these habits:
    Maintaining a healthy weight: People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of gallstones. Boost your diet with these foods:
    • Unlimited amounts of fresh, organic and vegetables, especially fiber-rich options (just make sure to introduce these foods slowly into your diet, since they can prompt digestive discomfort, especially in those who have had gallbladder surgery).
    • Moderate quantities of high-quality protein from meat ideally organic.
    • High portions of healthy fats from sources like avocados, coconut oil, organic butter, pastured egg yolks and raw nuts like macadamias, pecans and pine nuts.
    The following common practices can also raise your gallstone risk, so it's best to avoid them:
    • Skipping meals or fasting for long periods of time. As much as possible, try to stick to your usual mealtimes.
    • Following diets that promote rapid weight loss.  By rapid I mean aiming to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds, or 0.5 to 1 kilogram, per week.
    • Exercising regularly: Research shows that moderate physical activity can help with increasing the body’s levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) or “good” cholesterol.
    References