Ursula asks:
Got any ideas for cramp relief at work besides pills? HELP!!
I feel your pain. There's nothing worse than sitting through a staff meeting while the Devil tap-dances on your ovaries. Unfortunately, grabbing a stiff drink on your lunch break is usually frowned upon.
During the winter, I swear by Thermacare patches. You can apply the heat-pack right to your stomach, they're thin enough not to show through thick clothing, and they last all day. During this time of year though, the added heat might just make you more uncomfortable.
My doctor once recommended doing back bends. I assume the logic there is that stretching the abdominal muscles will help them to relax. Unless you have an office with a locking door though, I don't recommend this for work.
My favorite remedy, however, is chocolate and soda (or pop, or Coke, or whatever you call it). I was once told that the caffeine helps to dilate blood vessels and can relieve pain from cramps and stress headaches. I'm 95% sure this is nonsense, but i still reach for both whenever I don't have access to actual painkillers. If nothing else, the delicious snack helps me get my mind off the pain.
Actually, Christy, caffeine and junk food will only exacerbate the problems.
ReplyDeleteIn the few days before your period, Ursula, take preventative doses of OTC pain relievers. Make sure you get plenty of calcium, which can relieve some menstrual symptoms. Get plenty of exercise in the week before your period, and make sure to eat well. That's hard, because your body wants enough calories to sustain it through the extra effort of a period (which can burn an extra 300-500 calories per day), but there are better ways than junk food and candy to get what your body needs. Grazing on things like nuts and cheese will achieve the same ends, and not bog you down with questionable ingredients.
Once the cramps have started, heat is a great option, as Christy already said, but pressure can be effective, as well. Do you own Spanx? If I have to be somewhere with cramps, I always wear my shaper, because it helps mitigate the pain. And keep up with the OTC meds and calcium. Taking a walk, if you can move, is a good option, and if you're up to it, an orgasm will reset the spasming muscles so that the cramps lighten or go away altogether.
Good luck.