Emergency Remedies for Menstrual Pain: Relief Techniques You Can Use on the Train

Have you ever experienced severe menstrual pain at school or work? It can be incredibly difficult to focus, especially in situations like exams or meetings where you can’t take a break. Pain relief medication can help, but there are also quick, non-medication methods to relieve menstrual pain. Here, we introduce some techniques you can try right away.

Common Remedies Aren't Always Practical!

Typical advice for dealing with menstrual pain includes:

• Warming your body in a bath
• Avoiding caffeine
• Avoiding cold beverages
• Limiting sweets
• Using aromatherapy or herbal tea to relax
• Taking low-dose birth control pills

These approaches can help alleviate menstrual pain over time, but they aren’t useful for immediate relief. So, what can you do to quickly ease menstrual pain in a school or work environment?

Want to Know Immediate Relief Methods?

Here are some quick remedies for those seeking immediate menstrual pain relief.

1. Adjust Your Pelvis Position

One common cause of menstrual pain is poor blood circulation in the pelvic area. When abdominal pain strikes, it’s natural to hunch over, which further restricts circulation and adds tension to your muscles. By adjusting your pelvic position, you can improve blood flow and potentially reduce menstrual pain. Staying in the same position for long periods also reduces circulation, so try standing up or doing light stretches if possible.

Ankle Flexing Exercise:

1. Sit up straight in your chair, with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your legs slightly forward, keeping your heels on the ground, and lift your toes toward you, holding for 5 seconds.
3. Lower your toes slowly, then lift your heels and hold for 5 seconds.
4. Repeat 5 sets.

Pelvic Rocking Exercise:

1. Sit near the edge of your seat and straighten your back to engage the pelvic area.
2. Exhale, pull in your stomach, and round your back, tilting your pelvis back.
3. Return to your starting position.
4. Repeat 10 times.

2. Pressure Points

Stimulating specific pressure points can improve circulation. Certain points below the navel are effective for menstrual pain relief. Warming these points or gently massaging them can also help.

Main Pressure Points for Menstrual Pain Relief:

• Hegu: Located in the webbing between the thumb and index finger.
• Qihai: Two finger-widths below the navel.
• Guanyuan: Four finger-widths below the navel.
• Zhongji: One finger-width below Guanyuan.
• Guilai: Located three finger-widths to the left or right of Zhongji.

3. Use a Heating Pad

A cold uterus can lead to poor blood flow, causing surrounding muscles to tighten. This tension requires stronger contractions to expel menstrual blood, which can increase pain. By using a heating pad to improve blood flow, you may be able to alleviate menstrual pain. Apart from the abdomen, there are other areas you can warm up to help relieve pain.

Areas to Apply Heat:

• Neck: To warm up the entire body
• Sacrum: To improve blood flow in the lower body
• Groin: To enhance lower body circulation

Keeping a heating pad handy can provide peace of mind. You could also use a waist warmer or lap blanket as alternatives.

What Causes Menstrual Pain in the First Place?

Here, we explore the origins of menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

• Menstrual Pain

Just before and during menstruation, the body releases prostaglandins to promote uterine contractions and expel menstrual blood. This contraction can cause pain. Prostaglandins also have a blood vessel constricting effect, which can lead to other symptoms such as lower back pain, fatigue, and chills.

• PMS

Symptoms that occur from one to two weeks before menstruation, such as headaches, stomachaches, and irritability, are part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This condition is triggered by a sudden rise and fall in the hormone progesterone, which disrupts the autonomic nervous system.

Conclusion

The methods introduced here are discrete enough to use during classes or meetings. Cold exacerbates menstrual pain, so aim to keep your body warm even outside of your period to manage pain effectively.

If the techniques mentioned do not provide relief, the pain could be due to an underlying condition. Conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or adenomyosis may cause severe menstrual pain, categorized as "organic dysmenorrhea." Avoid self-diagnosing and consult a gynecologist if you notice any concerning symptoms.