This one’s for the painful period girlies out there. Let me be clear – this blog should provide you with a list of holistic things you can implement to reduce pain, but if you are experiencing extreme pain that is keeping you from participating in life, a workup by a provider is warranted as there could be an underlying condition that needs treatment. 

Dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual cramps. Dysmenorrhea can be further broken down into primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is pain that occurs without any underlying medical condition, and typically occurs a day or two prior to menstruation while secondary dysmenorrhea is associated with an underlying condition such as endometriosis, fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease. This pain starts earlier and lasts longer. 

This type of pain can hinder women from participating in daily life events such as work or school, and addressing the pain allows women to get back to living their best lives. 

A few of my favorite tips for managing pain with periods include: manage constipation (more info HERE), staying hydrated, heating pads or patches (I likethese adhesive ones), acupuncture, TENS units, gentle yoga, low intensity movement such as walking, cupping, Semaine health PMS & period support, and of course pelvic PT to address tissue tension and restriction among many other things. 

If you take nothing else away from this blog, please know you can get relief from extreme period pain that is keeping you from participating in life. I’d be happy to help you find your way to a provider depending on the type and frequency of pain you’re experiencing, and if you’d like to try pelvic PT to get relief from painful periods, we’d love to help you. Call 903-962-2600, email hello@txpelvichealth.com, or click here to schedule an appointment.