Combat Menstrual Pain without Medication

Menstrual pain can be downright awful for some people. Studies have found that more than ninety percent of women suffer from menstrual pain, and of them, around forty percent describe their menstrual pain as being detrimental to their daily activities.

These pains can surface as cramps that make it hard to concentrate or stabbing lower back pain.

Many women experiencing this pain opt to use medicine to try to combat it, though they often find over-the-counter medication isn’t very effective. There are some new technologies that will help you fight the pain without medication, though!

Combat Menstrual Pain without Medication

The Old Way

When cramps and stabbing back pain start to set in, many women go for over-the-counter NSAIDs, though studies have shown these are little help for menstrual pain. That’s because many women create a chemical called prostaglandin during their periods. This chemical is what sends the signal to your body to cramp, and overproduction of it is what leads to the extreme cramps of menstrual pain. While NSAIDs slow prostaglandin production, they don’t stop it.

What’s more, though NSAIDs have little effect on menstrual pain, they can cause worse problems than they solve. Use of over-the-counter pain meds can lead to stomach issues like diarrhea and constipation. If you’re experiencing these issues, it may not be your period causing them! Other problems with these over-the-counter medications could include the development of ulcers, and they could even increase your risk of kidney or heart failure.

The New Way

If suffering through with ineffective pain meds was the old way, what’s the new way? Thankfully, new breakthroughs in technology may be able to help ease menstrual pain. Nerve stimulation technology is a new breakthrough that has been showing promising results in clinical tests. Officially known as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulations, or TENS, the process involves the use of electrical currents to send signals to your nerves that will, in turn, ease your menstrual pain.

Using a TENS device is pretty straightforward. You attach a few electrodes to your body, wherever you’re feeling the worst pain. These electrodes then receive a very slight electrical signal from a machine. You don’t feel much of the electrical pulses, as they are so slight as to be very hard to notice. They do, however, prevent your nerve receptors from sending pain signals to your central nervous system.

This means that TENS devices don’t stop your pain by addressing the symptoms. You’ll still be having your period, your body will still be cramping and producing large amounts of prostaglandin. However, you simply won’t feel the effects of these functions thanks to the signals from the TENS device.

Results

Researchers at many universities have found promising results with TENS therapy for use with women experiencing extreme menstrual pain. Many studies showed patients immediately reporting relief from their painful menstrual symptoms. TENS is an ideal procedure for addressing these problems, as it is both noninvasive and safe. It doesn’t require the patient to take any medication that could have harmful side effects and it doesn’t prevent the patient’s body from undergoing normal menstrual activity. All it does is block the pain signals being sent by the patient’s nerves.

While there are a few adverse effects that could occur if a TENS unit is improperly used, proper use has, thus far, showed no danger for women experiencing menstrual pain. This is a great solution for some people who experience intense menstrual pain but don’t want to take medicines that might not even help them feel better.

Types of Units

There are many different varieties of TENS units available for home use. Research into specific units can be quite detailed, though there are a few basic varieties. For example, some of the earlier units, and some of the stronger units are home-only. These units tend to be larger and can’t be taken out of the home with you, as they are only for use indoors.

Other examples include travel units that are smaller and can be packed up to travel with you. These types of TENS units tend to be less expensive, though they might not offer the same power as a home unit. They would be ideal for someone who travels often, such as on business trips or often goes on vacations. These can be easily slipped into a bag or purse!

Finally, there are even wearable TENS units that can attach to your body under your clothes to give you relief throughout the day. These types of units are often even made with menstrual pain in mind!