When it comes to periods, it’s safe to say they’re not the most enjoyable experience to be enduring once a month. From fears of leaks and irritable moods, to tummy troubles and even acne flare-ups, sadly life as a menstruating woman comes with plenty of less than favourable side-effects. One of the most common symptoms is, of course, period pain – it’s thought to affect around 80% of all women at some point in their lives. Traditionally, ‘normal’ period pain is felt as pain or cramping in the tummy, back or thighs, and tends to happen when bleeding starts but can occur in the days leading up to a period.
Let’s face it, period pain is never pleasant – but help to combat those cramps is at hand
However, for some people who suffer from conditions such as Endometriosis, (a condition in which the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body) the pain can actually manifest elsewhere in the body and range from a dull, constant ache to painful muscle spasms that are excruciating. Over the years, treatment to deal with period pain has largely remained unchanged, with hot water bottles and OTC painkillers such as paramcetemaol and ibuprofen being the some of the most common methods to help survive the monthly bout of agony. But in recent years, more and more women have been turning to other methods of pain relief, such as the use of TENS machines, (which utilises Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation technology – a drug-free method of pain relief to help relax cramping abdominal muscles and hopefully ease the pain.
Boots has launched a brand new TENS machine to help combat period pain
(Image: Boots)
One of the latest machines to hit the market, is the Period Pain Wireless Pain Reliever by Boots, £49.99 here, which also combines the technology with heat to double the period pain fighting power of the wearable device. Equipped with 15 intensity levels, the machine features a rechargeable battery which can be used for up to six uses before it needs to be charged again, and handily both the heat and TENS functions can also be selected separately. A number of other products on the market, also include the Beurer TENS Menstrual Relax EM50, £60 here at Argos , the Stylpro Toastie Tummy period cramp soother, £34.99 here, or the Myoovi Period Pain Relief Device, £69.99 here. In addition, the company has also recently launched it’s own brand of prescription-strength pain relief for periods, which features 250mg of the anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen. Available from the pharmacy, the painkiller are suitable for women between 15 and 50 years old who are experiencing period pain and costs £5.39 for nine tablets.
Exercise and stress relief can also help to combat period pain, according to experts
Sharing her top tips for helping to ease painful periods, Claire Nevinson, Superintendent Pharmacist at Boots, also advised suffers not to discount things such as exercise and managing stress, as both can massively help to reduce the pain suffered by affected individuals. Claire said: “Although exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing during a painful period, gentle activity stimulates the release of endorphins which act as a natural painkiller. Try low-impact exercise such as swimming, walking or cycling.” She also touched on the importance of stress relief, as she added: “It is important that you try to manage your everyday stress levels since stress can influence a hormonal imbalance and trigger more painful periods. “Try a relaxing activity such as yoga or pilates or curl up and read a book to help distract your mind from any stress or discomfort. Gently massaging your lower abdomen in light circular motions may also help to soothe the pain.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnHealthShopping
