What To Do About Painful Periods
Can you relate to this poor, naked, woman suffering up there?
If you’re reading this, I am so sorry. This means you struggle with crippling, doubling-over, horrible painful periods. Maybe it’s the type that goes away with meds or maybe it’s the type that totally ruins your day, causing you to miss things like school, work, or other responsibilities. I know it can be debilitating. Or maybe this used to be you and you were prescribed hormonal birth control to relieve your monthly hell (which brought other issues with it).
Today I want to share why you experience pain, what is normal/healthy, and approaches to relief from painful periods for good.
The main message I want you to hear today is this:
You do not need to put up with painful periods.
You heard me. Just because you’re a female with periods does not mean you need to be completely miserable a few days every month for 30 years of your life. It’s just not the case, and I’ll lovingly slap anyone who told you or made you feel otherwise. You deserve better. Period.
Conventional treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs or hormonal birth control are common strategies to dealing with painful periods. If these strategies work for you, you do you! But if you’re still reading that probably means it’s not working or you’re not a fan of the side effects these drugs come with. The info I am sharing today is to offer solutions that get to the root of why you are experiencing painful periods in the first place and strategies to help support your body vs. just symptom management.
What’s normal?
It is normal to experience minor discomfort just before or at the start of your period that is easily relieved by natural treatment or even a low dose of ibuprofen. If pain starts to become more severe to the point where you need higher doses of medication, it starts to impact daily activities, or the pain is leading to fainting or vomiting- that is not normal or healthy.
Some women who experience especially severe pain during or between periods, along with other cyclical symptoms, may be dealing with conditions like Adenomyosis or Endometriosis. Adenomyosis is characterized by abdominal distension, pelvic pain, and very heavy periods. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and is mainly characterized by severe pain and other symptoms such as bowel problems, headaches, infertility, and bladder problems. Unfortunately, many women go undiagnosed for years because they suffer through the pain and dismiss (or get dismissed) as her experience being “common” or that there is not much you can do beyond medication.
Know this: Our bodies naturally ebb and flow throughout our cycles and that is normal and healthy. Our energy, creativity, and libido have a normal rise and fall that coincide with our hormones. But if you experience crippling pain or even just pain that is interfering with the life you want, there are absolutely ways to support your body back into balance with the right care.
Why pain?
When you have a period, your uterine lining breaks down by way of a hormone-like lipid called prostaglandins. Although some prostaglandins are necessary to shed uterine lining by stimulating muscle contraction, too many prostaglandins can lead to pain.
So, what leads to an overproduction of prostaglandins? It all comes down to inflammation. This is where nutrition and lifestyle come in. The root of inflammation is most commonly related to lifestyle factors like:
an inflammatory diet
stress/trauma
excess/lack of movement
Painful periods are associated with imbalances like:
excess estrogen and/or low progesterone
liver dysfunction
hypothyroidism
microbiome imbalance
Getting into what is underlying painful periods is the key to knowing how to target strategies to not only relieve pain but also bring balance to your body. Addressing the root cause will likely also improve things like PMS, mood, fertility, body composition, gut symptoms, skin, and energy.
This. is. what. we. want. Am I RIGHT?!
So, where do you start? Let me tell ya:
Increase Antioxidants
Remember, the root of inflammation (pain) can come from years of consuming inflammatory foods and a lack of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. One of my favorite ways to do this is by increasing colorful whole foods like leafy greens, peppers, onions, berries, sweet potatoes, green tea, cacao, ginger, and turmeric. Think: highly pigmented whole foods. That’s where the gold is.
Increase Omega-3s, Decrease Omega-6s
Omega-3s from salmon, walnuts, and flax (but primarily fatty fish) are some of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet. Do your best to decrease inflammatory fats like refined vegetable oils, margarine, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, etc. These guys live in processed foods and restaurant foods so read your labels.
Be Mindful of Sugar Intake
High amounts of refined sugar and artificial sugar are highly inflammatory. Keep added sugar to a minimum and prioritize whole foods sources like bananas, apples, dates, etc. If you are going to have sugar, prioritize natural sources like raw honey, pure maple syrup, organic cane sugar, monk fruit, stevia, etc.
Tune into Stress/Emotional Health
Just as much as certain foods and chemicals can be toxic to the body, chronic stress, toxic relationships, loneliness, and even “good stress” from happy life events can very much impact your physiology. Stress impacts hormones, the gut, and our metabolism. Think back to when your painful periods started and consider the role that stress/relationships/emotional health played. If that is a factor, consider implementing stress-management techniques, working with a therapist, or getting other support you need to help your body feel safe.
Work with a Trustworthy Health Team
You deserve compassionate and skilled care to overcome painful periods and feel safe in your body again. If you feel like you don’t know where to start or like you’ve tried so many strategies and are still struggling, I highly recommend working with a practitioner that specializes in a root-cause approach to women’s health.
For example, here are some of the things I do with women that experience painful periods beyond what I already suggested above:
Recommend specific lab testing to better understand sex hormone levels, nutritional status, thyroid health, blood sugar control, etc.
Identify food sensitivities that may be contributing to symptoms.
Recommend supportive supplements for each unique client such as magnesium, zinc, omega-3, turmeric, herbs, and other nutrients.
Identify functional imbalances such as poor liver function which may be contributing to excess estrogen.
Recommend interventions for sleep, stress, and movement which are primary contributors to hormone imbalance and inflammation.
I am truly passionate about helping women like you restore healthy, pain-free periods. If you are ready to take the next step in supporting your health, I would love to chat. Click below for a FREE 20-minute consult with me!
Thank you for reading. I truly hope you found this helpful and encouraging. I hope we can connect soon!
In your corner,
