How To Kill Cramps: 5 Au Naturel Cures

by Liberty on January 29th, 2008

Guys, if you think PMS is the worst thing about your lady’s “monthly visitor”, we have news for you, don’t we girls? Yep, underneath the exterior of our once-a-month bitchy wrath lies a whole other issue that you may not even know about…cramps.

As if it’s not bad enough we have to endure a week of Aunt Flow, we also have to be in pain besides. Now how is that fair? Um, it’s not. But hallelujah, now there are some fresh-from-nature fixes to ease us through. If you’re a guy, do yourself a favor and don’t click out. Keep reading and surprise your woman with one or two of these saviors - you’ll be her hero forever (and make life a whole lot easier for yourself!)

Turn on the heat. Dig out your old heating pad in lieu of ibuprofen or acetaminophen - pads have been shown to be as or more effective at soothing menstrual cramping than those medications. Why? Heat dilates the blood vessels and relaxes uterine contractions. Don’t have a pad at home? Soak in a hot bath. Headed out to work? Pick up a pack of heat patches available at drugstores.
Set a tea time. Chamomile tea, that is. Chamomile has been shown to raise levels of the amino acids that relax uterine muscles. Try starting two weeks before your period is due and aim to down five cups a day.
Play masseuse…on yourself. A Korean study found that women who massage their midsection with a blend of lavendar essential oil (2 drops), clary sage oil (1 drop) and rose oil (1 drop) along with 1 teaspoon of almond oil one week before Aunt Flow arrives can cut their cramp discomfort by half.
Go fishing. Ease cramping by up to 40% by popping fish oil beginning the day before your period is due and continuing until the cramps stop. Of course, you should be taking fish oil anyway, so this is a no-brainer, right?
Start barking up the (pine) tree. Here’s a good one: recent studies have shown that 73% of ladies who took 30mg daily of pycnogenol (a pine-bark extract) reported a big drop in the frequency and severity of their menstrual cramps. Pycnogenol is said to ease the inflammation that causes uterine muscle spasms. Of course, any time you take a new supplement, you should first check with your doctor.