Make that time of the month more bearable with these home remedies to combat period pain.
Make that time of the month more bearable with these home remedies to combat period pain.
1 Drink chamomile tea
Swop your regular coffee and tea for chamomile. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that participants had higher levels of glycine, which acts as a nerve relaxant, after drinking chamomile tea daily for two weeks. Higher levels of this amino acid can help to relax your uterus, thus soothing your cramps.
2 Apply heat
Place a heating pad or hot water bottle on your lower abdomen. The heat helps to promote blood circulation and relax your muscles, soothing the pain. It feels even better if you snuggle up in bed with the heat pad or hot water bottle!
3 Massage acupuncture points
There are many such points in our body that are linked. Try pressing the point four fingers below your navel, or a three-finger space above the ball of your ankle on the inner side of your leg. You can even start massaging before your period arrives to reduce your PMS symptoms.
4 Do light exercises
Moping in bed seems like the best option when you’re having cramps. Get up and do some light exercises such as brisk walking instead. If you don’t want to leave the house, try doing yoga or pilates at home, but avoid the inverted poses. Exercising gets your adrenalin pumping to boost your mood and improve your blood flow.
5 Sleep
This allows your body to rest and recuperate. Usually, I would take a nap when I’m having cramps, and by the time I wake up, the pain would be greatly reduced or even completely gone. Try sleeping in the foetal position, which can apparently ease your cramps and prevent nasty leakages too.
TEXT: CLAIRE ANG PHOTO: 123RF.COM.
