Acupressure for menstrual pain. Is it possible to do massage during menstruation, and how does it affect menstruation? Psychological symptoms of PMS

Let's consider whether it is possible to do massage during menstruation, and what types of massage are prohibited. During critical days, certain processes occur in the body that impose some restrictions on both physical activity and certain types of massage. It would be best to postpone the course and not do it a few days before and after menstruation.

But if this is not possible, and due to physiological characteristics the woman loses relatively little blood, then doctors allow massage during menstruation of the feet, arms, shoulders, neck, that is, the parts of the body farthest from the abdomen. Massaging the areas around the abdomen will cause blood flow and may increase bleeding and pain. At the same time, cupping and honey warming massage, massaging the tailbone and lower abdomen are prohibited.

Back massage

Of course, first of all, you need to start from the woman’s well-being during her period. Some people can easily tolerate a back massage, while for others such an effect will cause pain and sheer inconvenience.


If you have any doubts about whether this type of massage is allowed, you should consult your gynecologist. After conducting an examination, he will definitely be able to tell whether it is possible to give a back massage specifically to you.

To summarize in this case, it is worth saying that it is allowed to massage the back during menstruation, but you should consult a doctor, as well as rely on your own feelings, and if you experience discomfort or increased bleeding, immediately stop the session and do not resume until menstruation stops.

Cellulite on the body of women forms in the abdomen, buttocks, waist, knees and inner and outer thighs. And it is formed not only in overweight women, but also in women with normal or even underweight.

The worst thing is that even a balanced diet, regular exercise in any sport, or drinking two liters of clean water daily cannot save you from the appearance of unwanted “orange peel.”

But is it possible to do anti-cellulite massage during menstruation?

Let's consider the effect of anti-cellulite massage. With a targeted local impact, the following changes occur:

    • fat cells are destroyed;
    • blood, lymph and interstitial fluids move under the skin under the influence of the massage therapist’s hands;
    • the temperature of the area of ​​the body where the massage is performed increases by 1.5-2 degrees;
    • there is a reflex effect on the tone of tissues and blood vessels;
    • Biologically effective substances, such as acetylcholine, histamine, etc., are activated, they regulate metabolism and blood circulation.

This type of massage will improve metabolic processes, lymphatic drainage, improve blood supply and the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells. This reduces swelling, removes harmful substances from the external environment from the body, toxic breakdown products also leave the body better without remaining inside, excess fat is broken down, scars are reduced, and collagen and elastin are produced much more.

Contraindications to anti-cellulite massage

In order to achieve a truly noticeable effect in preventing and breaking down cellulite, you need to have the necessary knowledge about how to actually massage the body.

There are actually quite a few contraindications to anti-cellulite massage:

    • any skin diseases in the areas of massage;
    • acute infectious diseases or chronic, but in the acute stage;
    • hypertension or heart failure;
    • low blood clotting, disorders associated with frequent bleeding;
    • autoimmune connective tissue diseases;
    • varicose veins in the affected areas;
    • mental and nervous diseases.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are also contraindications, as such massage can cause miscarriage or loss of milk. Anti-cellulite massage during menstruation is contraindicated, as it increases bleeding, which can have a negative impact on women's health.

However, not all gynecologists consider anti-cellulite massage during menstruation prohibited; they allow it, but during menstruation the procedures may be ineffective. This is due to the fact that during menstruation the female body swells excessively. All the fluid that accumulates in the body will be released automatically at the end of the cycle.

The benefits of massage during menstruation

The undoubted benefit of massage is the relief of menstrual pain; it is well relieved by acupressure. For example, the Shiatsu technique helps during painful menstruation. Self-massage will also help you fight pain.

Options for this massage:

    • Lightly pressing in a clockwise circular motion in the area of ​​the uterus with warmed hands.
    • Place two tennis balls in a sock, lying on your back, place them in the lumbar region on the left and right sides. Lie on them for a few minutes, then roll back and forth.
    • Sitting on your knees, stroking and pinching, massage the outer side of the thigh.

All movements and pressures should be soft and careful so as not to hurt. It is best to use cream or oil for self-massage to ease friction.

So, you can do a massage during menstruation, but even if they pass completely without pain and without heavy blood loss, it is best to consult your personal gynecologist before any procedure, and during the massage session rely on your own sensations.

Possible consequences of massage activities during menstruation

When performing a massage, blood flow to the affected area increases. If pressure is applied to the abdomen, bleeding may increase. This will also cause increased pain. Honey and cupping massage are especially contraindicated in this case.

Carrying out anti-cellulite massage

Any woman is interested in her figure and prepares for a beach holiday in advance. At the same time, many are concerned about the safety of anti-cellulite massage during the menstrual cycle.

Some specialists do not prohibit this type of massage. However, there is no point in doing it during your period. Excess fluid and associated swelling will disappear on their own as soon as the menstrual cycle ends. In this case, there will be a simple loss of time and money.

The positive side of massage activities during menstruation

Despite numerous prohibitions on massage during the menstrual cycle, it can bring undoubted benefits.

    1. Using massage, you can reduce pain associated with menstruation.
    2. Acupressure has undoubted benefits. When it is carried out, pain is noticeably reduced.
    3. According to the Shiatsu massage technique, massaging the area below the navel at a distance of three fingers can significantly reduce pain. The popularity of this Japanese massage technique needs no introduction. If the pain is acute, then it is enough to act on this point for 5 minutes and the result will not be long in coming. The woman will feel much better, as the pain will noticeably decrease.

    4. You can also influence another point. Its location is the ankle area. The palm is placed on its inner side so that the little finger is located at its very base. You need to press on the place under your index finger. The impact lasts 6 seconds for every two minutes. The total duration of massage activities should be at least 25 minutes. Even if it is not possible to accurately determine the point in need, you just need to massage your ankle and the pain will begin to subside. The fact is that this place is the location of large blood vessels.

Self-massage during menstruation

Often, by doing a massage on her own, a woman can achieve very good results. Massaging yourself is not only possible, but also necessary. The fact is that a woman, better than any massage therapist, is able to feel those points that are simply necessary to be affected, which will be very effective.

Massage can be performed in various ways:

    1. The hands are on the uterus area and make circular movements. They move clockwise. Before carrying out massage activities, warming up your hands is required.

    2. Two tennis balls are placed in the sock. The woman lies on her back, and the balls are on both sides of the lower back. At first they simply lie on them, then make movements with their backs up and down. It turns out that the body slides over the balls.
    3. Starting position - sitting on your knees. At the same time, the woman massages the outer side of the thigh. The movements stroke and lightly pinch the thigh.
    4. A foot massage will relieve general fatigue.

The main condition for any massage event is complete relaxation. Only in this case can the maximum effect be achieved. If this is not achieved, then even a regular foot massage on critical days can cause increased pain.

FACT! When performing a massage and deciding on the feasibility and possibility of its implementation, the individual characteristics of the body of each individual woman are of great importance.

The opinion of doctors who are against massage during menstruation

There are opinions that massage activities are contraindicated during menstrual periods. Supporters of such statements believe that massage during menstruation can lead to undesirable consequences. They can be reduced to the following positions:

    • Danger associated with the possibility of severe bleeding.
    • Unbearable pain may appear in the lower abdomen.
    • General health may worsen.
    • Hemoglobin may decrease.
    • Weakness, fainting, and even loss of consciousness may occur.
    • Body temperature may increase.
    • Inflammatory manifestations are often observed.

General rules for massage events

If the massage is organized and carried out correctly, then it will not cause harm to the woman on her critical days, and it is quite possible to achieve relief from the condition. Therefore, when performing a massage during this period, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules:

    • At first, all movements are warming up and gentle in nature.
    • At the initial stages, the skin must be ironed and warmed up.
    • When the skin is warm, you can pat it.
    • Over time, the intensity of movements increases.
    • The strength of massage movements should be correlated with the woman’s condition and well-being.
    • It is possible to use massage oil or cream.
    • You cannot make sudden movements. This can only do harm.

Anyone who believes that massage is an easy, harmless procedure that cannot harm a woman during her menstrual cycle is wrong. A positive result can be achieved only with proper organization of massage events and compliance with the technique of their implementation. If everything is done according to the rules, then you can achieve a reduction in pain and an improvement in the woman’s well-being. In any case, before performing a massage, you should consult a specialist.


If you perform a relaxing massage of the uterus in the morning and evening, this will help reduce pain by eliminating spasms. Using the ancient Chinese massage technique Guasha is effective. It helps normalize the menstrual cycle. With its help you can solve a number of other women's problems. Its planning falls in the middle of the cycle, since it involves 5-10 procedures.

Massage should be avoided by women whose menstrual cycle is accompanied by severe pain and profuse hemorrhage.

Types of massage during menstruation to relieve pain

    1. Manipulations on the body are performed for relaxation, treatment, and toning. Allowed on critical days relaxing procedures, relieving psycho-emotional stress and minimizing discomfort.
    2. Nagging pain will be relieved by light back massage in Michaelis diamond. In this area there are large vessels that transport blood and nutrition to the pelvis. Light circular movements with your fingers will provoke a local rush of blood to the surface of the skin and relieve muscle spasms.

    3. Not prohibited anti-cellulite massage during menstruation. However, rubbing and pinching movements with a cream containing warming components will cause the skin temperature to rise by a couple of notches, so it is better to avoid it. Due to the large amount of water contained in the tissues, the result will be insignificant.
    4. Facial massage And aroma - massage has a beneficial effect on the woman’s body and has a relaxing effect. But it wouldn’t hurt to check with your doctor again before the procedure.
    5. Head massage, especially for headaches, has no contraindications, since it is practically not associated with pelvic circulation.
    6. Unconventional Japanese technique - Shiatsu massage has a beneficial effect on a woman’s energy points and helps relieve pain and relax the body.

Is it possible to massage the neck, legs, and shoulder girdle during menstruation?

Doctors do not prohibit rubbing the collar area and soles. If you lie on the floor, place 2 tennis balls under your feet and roll them in a circle, stimulation of the nerve receptors will alleviate the condition and provide a surge of energy.

The Guasha technique is effective. Actions with a scraper stimulate lymphatic drainage and prevent the formation of adhesions.

Subjective symptoms of painful periods will be relieved by acupressure. By applying pressure between the thumbs and middle fingers 7 cm above the tarsal bone, rubbing the ankles restores the natural flow of energy along the meridians. This increases the production of the joy hormone and relieves pain.

Is it possible to do general, honey, cupping massages?

Menstruation is a contraindication to warming procedures and some hardware techniques. In the process, blood rushes to the pelvis and increases pain. For this reason, you cannot do general and cupping massage during menstruation. Working out every centimeter of the body, including the abdomen, back, and thighs, causes an increase in temperature. Under the influence of heat, blood flow accelerates, feeding myomatous and fibrous nodes. This leads to their growth and the appearance of new formations.

During menstruation the following are also prohibited:

    • honey;
    • lymphatic drainage;
    • vacuum roller;
    • erotic;
    • tantric

The massages listed above stimulate blood circulation, which entails blood flow to the pelvis, muscles become toned, and this is extremely undesirable during menstruation.

Other types of massage: pros and cons

Abdominal massage during menstruation can cause heavy bleeding. Pressure, kneading, and intense rubbing in the pelvic area are prohibited. However, it is not forbidden to make clockwise stroking movements around the navel. Soft pressure relieves muscle hypertonicity.

Massage during menstruation using Thai technology

Whether it is possible to do a massage during menstruation using Thai technology, everyone decides for themselves, since there is no consensus. Master:

    • works with feet;
    • passes through bioactive points;
    • stretches muscles.

The manipulations are akin to yoga techniques and are aimed at relaxation. At the same time, lymphatic drainage increases and swelling subsides. If you have gynecological pathologies, it is better to abstain from it.

Vacuum lpg massage during menstruation

Despite assurances that in a couple of sessions you can reduce your volume by 10 cm, menstruation is a reason to refuse vacuum lpg massage. There is no need to be upset - after 3 days the water will fill the tissue again. The results of the hardware technology appear after the 6th session, so it starts 2 days after the end of the cycle.

Self-massage

If a woman does not have the above contraindications, then she can do a light massage on her own. It is performed with light stroking, sliding movements, the impact on the body should be minimal. You can use aromatic oil or cream.

Delayed menstruation: indication for massage

If there is a delay, they give a massage to get your period going. Pressing on acupuncture points in the auricle, along the spinal column, in the sacral area increases the tone of the smooth muscles of the uterus and causes bleeding.

To summarize, it should be noted that first of all you need to focus on the woman’s well-being and listen to your body. Properly selected and performed techniques by a specialist will help you get rid of pain and help you relax. But if there is at least one of the contraindications, you should refuse the massage and move it to the middle of the cycle.

Menstruation, especially in young girls, is often accompanied by quite severe pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the sacrum and hips. In some cases, this symptom is accompanied by constipation, diarrhea, fainting, and increased irritability. Acupressure massage helps to get rid of these unpleasant manifestations, which is recommended to begin 2-3 days before the start of menstruation.

When influencing each of the points below, use a soothing method and light pressure with clockwise rotation for 3-5 minutes.

1. Kunlun point. The massage is performed simultaneously on both sides in a sitting position.

2. Shen-Mai point. Symmetrical, located on the border of the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the foot, in the depression under the outer malleolus. It is massaged in a sitting position, on both sides simultaneously.

3. Zhi-yin point. The effect is similar.

4. Yunquan point. Apply alternating self-massage in a sitting position.

5. Zhan-gu point. Massage simultaneously on both sides while in a sitting position.

6. Qu-quan point. The massage is performed simultaneously on the right and left, taking a sitting position and slightly bending your knees.

“100 secrets of oriental medicine”, Lyakhova K.A.

In most cases, menstrual pain is explained quite simply. If pregnancy does not occur, the endometrium (uterine mucosa) is torn away from the walls of the uterus, and prostaglandins are released, which facilitates better release of the remnants of the uterine mucosa to the outside. If a lot of prostaglandins are formed, the muscles contract more actively, which causes menstrual pain.

Experts have their own name for painful periods - dysmenorrhea (previously it was called algodysmenorrhea). In addition, doctors divide it into primary and secondary.

  • Primary dysmenorrhea is characteristic of young girls and women (aged approximately 14 to 25 years) and is characterized by contractile activity of the uterus. In addition to the characteristic pain in the lower abdomen, symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea can include nausea, headaches and stool upset. They usually appear the day before and a couple of days after the start of menstruation. Dysmenorrhea can be successfully treated and, if painful menstruation is bothering you, it is better to see a doctor who will prescribe treatment.
  • Secondary dysmenorrhea is usually associated with organic changes in the pelvic organs (for example, endometriosis, chronic inflammatory processes with the formation of adhesions). In this case, only your attending gynecologist can choose the right treatment.

Causes of menstrual pain not associated with diseases of the female reproductive system include:

  • intrauterine device
  • lack of physical activity
  • deficiency of magnesium and calcium in the body
  • poor nutrition
  • stress and lack of sleep
  • low pain threshold

How to get rid of menstrual pain

If the pain before or during menstruation passes quickly and does not cause you any particular inconvenience, you practically do not pay attention to the onset of menstruation and lead your usual lifestyle, then you just need to take care of yourself by avoiding excessive physical activity these days. But if the first day of your period turns into a real nightmare for you, it’s worth taking action.

How to reduce period pain

Painkillers

The easiest and most popular way is to take a pill that relieves pain and spasms. Just be sure to consult with your doctor which drug is right for you. But don't make taking painkillers a habit. If you cannot live without pills every month and take them several times a day, this is an alarm bell, meaning that you need to see a doctor immediately.

Oral contraceptives

Birth control pills contain hormones that suppress ovulation. No ovulation - no painful menstruation. Among other things, they will relieve you of the symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome). But keep in mind that you need to select such pills individually and only your gynecologist can do this based on the results of examinations and tests.

Physical activity

Some women mistakenly believe that sports are contraindicated during menstruation, although in reality the opposite is true. Exercising ensures good blood circulation in the muscles and makes them more elastic. The uterus is made up of several types of muscles, so regular exercise and good, consistent stretching can make it much easier to cope with period pain caused by contractions of the uterus.

So if you don’t have any special instructions from your doctors, try doing light exercises:

  • Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and do 15-20 regular squats. Make sure to keep your weight in your heels and keep your back straight.
  • Sit cross-legged and begin to slowly bring your knees in and out. Repeat 15–20 times.
  • Get on all fours, arch your back like a cat, and then return to the starting position. Repeat 15–20 times.

But it is better to avoid serious strength loads in the first days of your period.

Swimming

Swimming is worth highlighting separately. This is the safest and least traumatic sport that relieves pain. It helps relax muscles and relieve tension. Just remember to use a tampon while swimming, and change it immediately after swimming. Tampax tampons are ideal for this. Their plastic Compak applicator fits easily in your hand, so you can quickly and unnoticed to change your tampon.

Taking vitamins

Vitamin B6 and magnesium are friends and main helpers of a woman suffering from menstrual pain. Taking these vitamins and minerals will help reduce discomfort. In addition, today there are many vitamin complexes for women that can ease the flow of menstruation. But it is best to select them together with your doctor.

Warm

Take a warm, comfortable shower or place a warm (!) heating pad on your lower abdomen to relieve pain. And if you don’t have a special heating pad, you can pour warm water into a regular plastic bottle. This method is best for relieving menstrual pain before bed, since after a shower it is best to immediately lie down in a warm bed.

Herbal teas, decoctions and infusions

Tea with chamomile or mint also helps to relax your abdominal muscles and reduce menstrual pain. Herbal infusions are also good - nettle, horsetail, wild strawberry and calendula.

Fetal position

Lie down, or better yet, sleep a little in the fetal position. To do this, lie on the floor and pull your legs towards your stomach. This pose will help you relax and reduce pain.

Balanced diet

On the eve and during menstruation, doctors recommend reducing the consumption of coffee, strong tea, as well as fried and spicy foods. But foods rich in calcium should be eaten more actively. Include more cottage cheese, milk porridge, fish, cheese and bananas in your diet. By the way, bananas, among other things, will also help improve your mood, which definitely won’t hurt in the first days of your period.

Abdominal and lower back massage

  • A lower back massage will help relieve spasms and soothe pain. Ideally, a loved one should do it for you. But if such a person is not around at the right time, you can make it yourself. Place a tennis ball in two bags or socks and lie with your lower back on them (the balls should be on either side of the spine at the level of the lower ribs). Gently roll on the balls, massaging your muscles.
  • Abdominal massage will help reduce tension in the abdominal area. To do this, massage your stomach with a warm hand in a clockwise circular motion.

Prevention of pain during menstruation

To prevent menstrual pain from causing you inconvenience:

  • Lead an active lifestyle and play sports. According to statistics, female athletes are much less likely to complain about pain during menstruation. Moreover, the sport can be anything - from yoga, Pilates and swimming to martial arts and dancing.
  • Spend more time outdoors and get enough sleep.
  • Include in your diet foods rich in calcium (cottage cheese, cheese, seafood) and magnesium (buckwheat, parsley, spinach, dark chocolate).
  • Try to eat less spicy and fried foods and avoid drinking coffee and strong tea.
  • Give up bad habits.
  • Do not overcool, avoid stressful situations. Visit your gynecologist once every six months, even if nothing worries you. Any disease is much easier to prevent than to treat. Not to mention that many processes in the female body can occur asymptomatically for a long time.

In what cases should you consult a doctor immediately:

  • The pain is so severe that I have to take sick leave and stay in bed all day.
  • The pain continues for more than two days.
  • Menstrual pain has recently begun to torment you, although previously your periods were painless.
  • Your periods are heavier than usual or last much longer.
  • You are taking oral contraceptives, but severe pain still bothers you.
  • Painkillers are not helping you.

In all these cases, you should not self-medicate or heroically endure unpleasant sensations. It is better to go to the gynecologist as soon as possible to establish and eliminate the cause of these symptoms and quickly return to your normal lifestyle.

Mechanical and reflex manipulations relieve fatigue and increase vitality. However, on critical days, women are forced to limit physical activity and deny themselves bodily pleasures. Will massage during menstruation be beneficial, or is it better to avoid the procedure at this time? Experts will help you figure it out.

When prescribing a course, they advise checking your menstrual schedule and planning an event immediately after the end of the cycle. Since massage at the height of menstruation can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences:

  1. Increased bleeding;
  2. Increasing pain in the lower abdomen;
  3. General malaise;
  4. Drop in hemoglobin and blood pressure;
  5. Fainting and weakness;
  6. Increased body temperature;
  7. Development of inflammation

If, due to your busy schedule, it is impossible to adapt to the regime, it is important to know what kind of massage can be done during menstruation, and which is strictly prohibited.

  1. Manipulations on the body are performed for relaxation, treatment, and toning. Allowed on critical days relaxing procedures, relieving psycho-emotional stress and minimizing discomfort.
  2. Nagging pain will be relieved by light back massage in Michaelis diamond. In this area there are large vessels that transport blood and nutrition to the pelvis. Light circular movements with your fingers will provoke a local rush of blood to the surface of the skin and relieve muscle spasms.
  3. Not prohibited anti-cellulite massage during menstruation. However, rubbing and pinching movements with a cream containing warming components will cause the skin temperature to rise by a couple of notches, so it is better to avoid it. Due to the large amount of water contained in the tissues, the result will be insignificant.
  4. Facial massage And aroma - massage has a beneficial effect on the woman’s body and has a relaxing effect. But it wouldn’t hurt to check with your doctor again before the procedure.
  5. Head massage, especially for headaches, has no contraindications, since it is practically not associated with pelvic circulation.
  6. Unconventional Japanese technique - Shiatsu massage has a beneficial effect on a woman’s energy points and helps relieve pain and relax the body.

Is it possible to massage the neck, legs, and shoulder girdle during menstruation?

Doctors do not prohibit rubbing the collar area and soles. If you lie on the floor, place 2 tennis balls under your feet and roll them in a circle, stimulation of the nerve receptors will alleviate the condition and provide a surge of energy.

The Guasha technique is effective. Actions with a scraper stimulate lymphatic drainage and prevent the formation of adhesions.

Subjective symptoms of painful periods will be relieved by acupressure. By applying pressure between the thumbs and middle fingers 7 cm above the tarsal bone, rubbing the ankles restores the natural flow of energy along the meridians. This increases the production of the joy hormone and relieves pain.

Is it possible to do general, honey, cupping massages?

Menstruation is a contraindication to warming procedures and some hardware techniques. In the process, blood rushes to the pelvis and increases pain. For this reason, you cannot do general and cupping massage during menstruation. Working out every centimeter of the body, including the abdomen, back, and thighs, causes an increase in temperature. Under the influence of heat, blood flow accelerates, feeding myomatous and fibrous nodes. This leads to their growth and the appearance of new formations.

During menstruation the following are also prohibited:

  • honey;
  • lymphatic drainage;
  • vacuum roller;
  • erotic;
  • tantric

The massages listed above stimulate blood circulation, which entails blood flow to the pelvis, muscles become toned, and this is extremely undesirable during menstruation.

Other types of massage: pros and cons

Abdominal massage during menstruation can cause heavy bleeding. Pressure, kneading, and intense rubbing in the pelvic area are prohibited. However, it is not forbidden to make clockwise stroking movements around the navel. Soft pressure relieves muscle hypertonicity.

Massage during menstruation using Thai technology

Whether it is possible to do a massage during menstruation using Thai technology, everyone decides for themselves, since there is no consensus. Master:

  • works with feet;
  • passes through bioactive points;
  • stretches muscles.

The manipulations are akin to yoga techniques and are aimed at relaxation. At the same time, lymphatic drainage increases and swelling subsides. If you have gynecological pathologies, it is better to abstain from it.

Vacuum lpg massage during menstruation

Despite assurances that in a couple of sessions you can reduce your volume by 10 cm, menstruation is a reason to refuse vacuum lpg massage. There is no need to be upset - after 3 days the water will fill the tissue again. The results of the hardware technology appear after the 6th session, so it starts 2 days after the end of the cycle.

Self-massage

If a woman does not have the above contraindications, then she can do a light massage on her own. It is performed with light stroking, sliding movements, the impact on the body should be minimal. You can use aromatic oil or cream.

Delayed menstruation: indication for massage

If there is a delay, they give a massage to get your period going. Pressing on acupuncture points in the auricle, along the spinal column, in the sacral area increases the tone of the smooth muscles of the uterus and causes bleeding.

To summarize, it should be noted that first of all you need to focus on the woman’s well-being and listen to your body. Properly selected and performed techniques by a specialist will help you get rid of pain and help you relax. But if there is at least one of the contraindications, you should refuse the massage and move it to the middle of the cycle.

Many women are familiar with symptoms of impending or onset menstruation, such as pain in the chest area, bad mood, loss of energy, irritability and pain in the lower abdomen. Usually these days, work isn’t going well, and the mood is such that even members of the household try to be seen less often.

What experts say about painful menstruation, and how to relieve such pain ?

Why does your stomach hurt during menstruation - the main causes of pain during menstruation

Any woman (with rare exceptions) experiences before or during menstruation at least discomfort. The main complaint is abdominal pain.


Why is this happening?

First of all, don't panic : if there are no accompanying “signals”, and menstruation does not fall outside the framework outlined by doctors, then there is nothing to worry about. A natural physiological process (monthly rejection and release of the inner layer of the uterus, which, when contracting, causes pain) does not require an urgent visit to the doctors.

Painful periods have a name - algomenorrhea:

  • Primary algodismenorrhea. Increased contractile activity of the myometrium by tissue hormones and, as a result, cramping pain and vascular spasms. Typical for women 16-25 years old. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, upset bowel movements and pain in the lower abdomen a day or two before menstruation and in the first two days of menstruation. There are no pathological changes in the pelvic organs. Typically, the level of pain decreases after childbirth and with age.
  • Secondary algomenorrhea. In this case, there are some pathologies of the pelvic organs, and pain becomes a symptom of anatomical changes in the uterus.


TO causes of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), not associated with diseases of the female reproductive system, include:

  • Sex hormone imbalance (progesterone, which promotes contraction of the uterus, and prostaglandin, the excess of which increases the force of contraction of the uterine muscles), excessive activity of the thyroid gland.
  • Intrauterine device and other contraceptives.
  • High sensitivity to changes in the body.
  • Incorrectly positioned uterus.
  • Excitability of the nervous system.
  • Pain as a consequence of childbirth or.
  • Lack of proper physical activity.
  • Heredity.
  • Calcium or magnesium deficiency.
  • Poor nutrition. Read also:

If pain during menstruation is short-term, the level of pain is tolerable, and there is no need to postpone everyday activities, then everything is normal, and there is no reason to panic .

10 best recipes - how to get rid of pain during menstruation

Traditional folk methods can help reduce the level of pain during menstruation (provided there are no serious problems with women’s health):

  1. Dry heat, massage and rest
    Heat will help relax the uterus and reduce the force of its contractions; a light massage of the abdomen (strictly clockwise) will relax the muscles.

  2. Painkiller
    1-2 tablets of no-shpa will help relieve spasms. Ibuprofen, spasmalgon or ketonal will help cope with severe pain. For pain caused by overexcitation of the nervous system (stress, etc.), a simple sedative can help - even ordinary valerian.
  3. Oral contraceptives
    Birth control pills contain hormones that help normalize hormonal levels. Such pills are very effective in relieving abdominal pain and other “effects” of menstruation. Of course, you should not start taking it without consulting a gynecologist.

  4. Physical activity
    Of course, we are not talking about shock loads and, especially, not about abdominal exercises, but bending, rotating the body, and light stretching are quite suitable. Pilates and yoga, which involve working on muscle tone, are also an excellent remedy for pain.
  5. Compresses and baths
    For example, a bath with sea salt (take before and after menstruation for 15-20 minutes, daily). Also suitable are sitz baths (contrast) before the onset of menstruation and compresses during menstruation. After a bath or contrast shower, you should dress warmly and lie down for at least an hour.
  6. Herbal teas, infusions, decoctions
    Such remedies include chamomile and mint tea (you can add honey), parsley or sorrel, mineral water, tansy, acorns, strawberries, angelica, etc.

  7. Massage
    Lower back massage will help relieve spasms. Preferably with someone's help, although you can do it yourself. Place a tennis ball in two socks and lie on them with your back so that the balls are at the level of the lower ribs on either side of the spine. Gently press on them with your back and lightly roll the balls with your muscles.
  8. Essential oils
    Before your period and in the first days, you can rub a mixture of essential oils into the sacral area, as well as into the lower abdomen. Ingredients: St. John's wort oil (50 ml), marjoram (5 drops), clary sage (4 drops), yarrow (5 drops). Rub in a couple of times a day. Before the procedure, conduct an allergy test by spreading a little mixture, for example, on the elbows. Itching or redness is a sign of an allergy.
  9. Swimming
    The most useful and least traumatic way to relieve pain. The main benefits are the release of endorphins (a natural pain reliever) and muscle relaxation.
  10. Cold on the stomach
    “Freezing” pain is one of the effective methods. You should put an ice pack on your stomach (only in a towel and over your clothes!) for 15 minutes, no more.