When the average woman lauds the capacity for female pain tolerance, it is more than likely she’s using menstrual pain as her primary reference. It a pretty good reference to have, too; women have sought succor from this grief for thousands of years. In that time, a lot of methods have been developed and each has its own pros and cons. So what is the best pain killer for menstrual cramps?
First of all, there is birth control. While not an option for everyone (women actively trying to conceive aren’t going to be able to utilize this method), a combined oral contraceptive pill can help a woman’s body better manage a menstrual cycle. Many find that the estrogen and progestogen in these medications leads to less of the irritations that come with a period, specifically cramping. Various side effects and sensitivities can prevent individual women from utilizing this method, however, leading many to continue their search.
There is no shortage of over the counter pain-relievers to add to your arsenal. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium are all sold under various brand names, and are common go-to pain relievers for most of the world. For those with sensitivities to NSAIDs, there are also a variety of options made under the Tylenol brand. This gives women a variety of options, but often times these medications barely touches the pain. While there specialized medications made for menstrual cramping and discomfort, most of them turn to the same NSAIDs you’ve already tried. There is no harm in giving them a try, but chances are that if ibuprofen didn’t do something as Advil? It wouldn’t do anything as Midol, either.
Some of the best ways of dealing with period pain is to take care of it before your period arrives. In the days before your menses begins, try adding a little bit of exercise to your routine and some more water to your diet. Exercise helps strengthen your muscles and increase blood flow, and while it may seem that increasing blood flow is the last thing you want to do? This is the right kind of blood flow, as it’ll better equip your body to deal with the discomfort it’ll be giving you. Even low impact exercises like stretches or yoga can help. As for water, dehydration can intensify menstrual pain. Are you a coffee and soda junkie? All of that sugar and caffeine is leaching the water right out of your body and those pain killers you’re taking can do the same thing. A few extra glasses of water in the days before your period can help have a surprising effect.
More holistic remedies do exist, but they lack the scientific backbone required to prove their effectiveness. Acupuncture and acupressure based treatments have yielded results for some, but not everyone can find a properly trained individuals to administer such treatment. Herbs like mint and roots like ginger have a long legacy of helping with period cramps, and this is probably one of the reasons that both are so often featured together in teas.
There are many methods for taking out the pain associated with a period. Every woman’s body is different, however; something that can completely eliminate pain for one woman could actually increase it in another. This being the case, there is probably only one universal method of killing the pain associated with menstrual cramps; unfortunately, it’s menopause. read more about interesting health articles