What are the causes of Menstrual Cramp?

Many women get to a point in their lives when they just think that their own bodies are rebelling against them. The whole world over, most women suffer with menstrual cramp to some greater or lesser degree, irrespective of how normal their cycle is. The condition of endometriosis can increase the debilitating effect as can the condition of PCOS. Each woman experiences the pains differently with some hardly able to do anything during this period.

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.

Why waste days of your life in pain when there is no need; think about all those things that you are stopped form doing. The cramps aren't the only thing that has to be endured either; the feeling of having eaten too much and nausea can also be a problem. I just didn't want to continue enduring the pains almost every month so I started looking around for menstrual cramp relief remedies. There doesn't seem to be any consistency about it either, most months some ladies have an awful time and then the odd cycle that is completely pain free.

A more natural method is to use a heat pad and position it on the tummy or back (it does vary), which can bring some relief. If pills don't seem to touch the pain, this may be something you want to try for your discomfort. All this is ok if you do not have those menstrual cramps that disable you, in that event a more long term solution would probably be required. The problem worsens when every month regular as clockwork you have to call in sick from your job.

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.

By: Keith Woolley

Keith Woolley is a Technical Director of Boots Herbal Stores. Click here for more information on Menstrual Cramps, Painful Menstruation . Natural Remedies are available from Solgar

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