3 Affordable and Evidence-Based Ways To Manage Period Pain Without Medication

Period pain is the most common gynecologic disorder and the leading cause of girls and women missing school and work. Roughly half of the female population experiences painful periods with an even higher prevalence in adolescents. Further, for about 15% of those, the pain is so significant that it impacts their day-to-day lives. One study reported that class attendance decreases by 29-50% during menstrual periods. Period pain also leads to social withdrawal and reduced participation in physical activity and sports. Despite all of that, painful periods remain overly normalized and under-treated.

Understanding the pain and options for reducing period-associated symptoms can make a huge difference in quality of life for girls and women. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what dysmenorrhea is, what causes period pain, and 3 methods you can use to reduce pain and improve comfort — either in conjunction with, or instead of, medication.

What is dysmennorhea?

Periods are generally uncomfortable, with most menstruating people experiencing bloating and discomfort around the time of the period and a general “bleh” feeling. But roughly half of us experience dysmenorrhea, defined as pain around the time of your period that’s uncomfortable enough to require treatment of some kind.

Treatment includes taking NSAIDs or using heat. For some, this pain is relatively mild. For others, painful periods get in the way of their ability to live their lives.

What causes painful periods?

Period pain can be broken up into two buckets - primary and secondary pain. Primary dysmenorrhea is period pain in the low abdomen with an absence of clear pathology causing the symptoms. In adolescent girls, this typically begins within six months to two years of the onset of a period and follows a cyclic pattern.

In the case of primary dysmennorhea, increased secretion of prostaglandins is thought to be the cause of pain. Prostaglandins cause the uterus to contract, resulting in constriction of the blood vessels and thus decreased blood flow through the uterine tissue. The uterus is a muscle and anytime a muscle experiences reduced blood flow, people can experience increased sensitivity of pain fibers. In this case, that increased sensitivity causes abdominal and pelvic pain. It’s important to note that just because we can’t necessarily point to a clear pathology that’s causing pain, that doesn’t make it any less real or disruptive.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is period pain resulting from an underlying cause. Examples of underlying causes include endometriosis, adenomyosis, IUD complications, or pelvic inflammatory disease. This pain may be associated with menstruation but may occur at different times in the cycle. Ovulation is a common time associated with increased pain. With secondary dysmenorrhea, the cause, location and quality of pain will vary based on the underlying pathology.

Menstrual pain symptoms can vary greatly but typically include pain in the abdomen, back, and even lower body. Other symptoms can include headache, fatigue, and changes to sleep, appetite, and bowel movements.

Here are 3 evidence-based ways to manage period pain without medication:

Appropriate period pain management can significantly improve quality of life, reducing the need for missed days of work and school, and improving your ability to stay healthy and active, too. Managing a period (and life) is hard enough without severe pain, so read on for ways to increase comfort and reduce disruption.

A note on medication: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a fantastic option for pain management. NSAIDS inhibit prostaglandin production and can thus decrease period pain and may be even more effective when paired with oral contraceptives. This blog post is calling out alternative management for two main reasons: NSAIDs need to be dosed at appropriate intervals to reduce common complications associated with the medication, and over- or inappropriate use of these medications can lead to gastric ulcers, kidney problems, and more. The second reason is not everyone wants to rely on medication to manage pain. The pain management options we review below can be used in conjunction with medication if you’re looking for better pain management, and in some cases can be used instead.

Exercise

Evidence shows that exercise is the most impactful non-pharmacological pain management method for period pain, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus on which type of exercise is most effective.

In some cases, aerobic exercise has been found to be more effective than lower intensity forms of movement. A number of studies have found that those who performed some form of aerobic exercise for 3-5 days per week for 20-50 minutes at a time experienced significantly less pain and improved quality of life. If you are new to aerobic exercise, walking at a moderate pace can be high enough intensity. Other options include a stationary bike, elliptical, running, bodyweight training and sport participation.

Other studies have found that all forms of exercise seem to reduce pain. This includes yoga, relaxation exercises, strength training, and mixed exercise. Different forms of movement, howeverm, may require different amounts of time to become effective, ranging anywhere between 4-8 weeks.

TL;DR: Exercise helps significantly and is the most impactful non-medication method for managing period pain! What appears to matter the most is choosing an exercise program that you’re able to stick with so you’re able to reap the long-term benefits.

Heat

Heat is a low-cost, low-effort option that has been found to help reduce pain and improve comfort during periods. Heat can be applied to the abdomen, back, and even the pelvis based on where you’re experiencing pain. Here are some of my favorite ways to use heat for period pain:

• Plugging in a heating pad if you have one

• Getting in the shower

• Putting warm (not boiling) water in a water bottle

• Making a rice sock: Get an old sock, preferably a long one. Put 1-2 cups of rice in it and tie off the knot. If you have an essential oil that you like, you can sprinkle a couple drops into it for added relaxation. Microwave the sock in 30-second intervals, shaking it up in between until you find your preferred temperature.

Kinesio Tape

Kinesio tape, or K-tape, is a special kind of material that has more stretch in it compared to a traditional medical tape. Its uses are many, including helping bruises resolve quickly, providing extra support to the abdomen during pregnancy, offering gentle cuing to help people improve their posture, and it has been found to be effective at reducing period pain.

Kinesio tape is thought to improve bloodflow, improve lymphatic flow, and support muscular function. It can significantly reduce the severity of period pain when applied during the menstrual cycle. Watch a quick tutorial on how to apply this tape to yourself to see if this method helps you.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading your period or missing out on life because of associated pain, you’re not alone. As a physical therapist, I’ve always known that movement is medicine and the evidence shows that to be the case in helping to remedy period pain, too. If bad cramps, low back aches, funky bowel issues, or any of the other glamorous things associated with monthly cycles have got you down, try getting up — even if it’s the last thing you want to do! Move your body, tape your lower abdomen, and get some heat on it. You’ll thank yourself when it’s that time of the month.