What are the causes of Menstrual Cramp?

by Keith Woolley

There are many health problems associated being a woman and it can often feel as if they are destined to suffer various pains for their entire lives. Menstrual cramp is one of these which can affect any woman; whether she has a regular cycle or not. The condition of endometriosis (which affects 1 in 10 women) can also increase the pain a woman will feel during this time. There does not seem to be any reason for those who feel no menstrual discomfort and those who experience regular agonizing effects.

If you suffer as badly as this you need to have a menstrual cramp relief remedy that you can rely on each month. One of the most common types of comes in the form of a pill and many women swear by it. In theory, calcium may help prevent menstrual cramps by maintaining normal muscle tone. Muscles that are calcium-deficient tend to be hyperactive and therefore might be more likely to cramp. Calcium supplementation was reported to reduce pain during menses in one double-blind trial,6 though another such study found that it relieved only premenstrual cramping, not pain during menses. Some doctors recommend calcium supplementation for dysmenorrhoea, suggesting 1,000 mg per day throughout the month and 250-500 mg every four hours for pain relief, during acute cramping (up to a maximum of 2,000 mg per day). Like calcium, magnesium plays a role in controlling muscle tone and could be important in preventing menstrual cramps. Magnesium supplements have been reported in preliminary and double-blind European research to reduce symptoms of dysmenorrhoea. In one of these double-blind trials, women took 360 mg per day of magnesium for three days beginning on the day before menses began. Now, it is true to say that some women do not like taking any type of natural medication but perhaps it’s now time to think about that stance.

After all, if your stomach cramps are getting you down every month then what do you have to lose? What’s worse is that you may have more than just the cramps to contend with, you may experience a bloated feeling and nausea too. On a personal level, I was just tired of the cramping pains and decided to source an effective menstrual cramp relief solution. Sometimes it is ok, but at other times Isome ladies truly feel like someone has squeezed my midsection with a large vice, and they just can’t get free.

There are times when nothing seems to give any relief but someone suggested trying a heat pad on the stomach which works quite well although sometimes it works better against the back. If pills don’t seem to touch the pain, this may be something you want to try for your discomfort. For women that have menstrual cramps that pretty much disable them completely, they may want to find something stronger. Of course, this is more likely if you have to call in sick each month because the stomach pains are so intense.

If this has happened to you, you should make an appointment to talk to your doctor about finding menstrual cramp relief. Your doctor may suggest using the contraceptive pill because he knows just how good it is at helping women who suffer each month with stomach cramps. Obviously this would be a stupid option if you are trying for a baby but there will be other remedies you doctor can prescribe to help the cramp you feel each cycle. You will eventually find a remedy that works for you; it is just a matter of time.

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