Severe period cramps are one of those things that can truly incapacitate you. They can make you miss work or school. They can make you sit on the toilet for a long time doubled over in pain. They can make you feel so sick that you won’t eat for hours, and then you are ravenous and eat everything in sight. They can make you sleep for an exorbitant number of hours because it’s sometimes easier to sleep off pain than deal with it.

Severe cramps during your period or cramps before your period is an indication that something is not going right in your body. They are not normal. So you’re going to have to get to the bottom of why you’re having them. 

The reason why YOU have to do this is because no doctor really has time to follow you around and examine all the details of what causes your severe menstrual cramps. He only thinks in patterns – and if your cramps symptoms don’t fit into a pattern, he will simply move on to the next patient and essentially leave you in the cold. That’s when you’re going to have to pick up the slack and start deciding what cramps treatment you need and what home remedies for period cramps you’re going to use. 

What to Do for Severe Menstrual Cramps

Below are 7 ways to help yourself for period cramps.

1. Numb Them with Cold Packs

Cold packs are one of the best therapies for pain. The cold numbs the pain receptors so you get instant pain relief. The proper way to use cold packs is to lay 2-3 towels down on your belly and then add the ice pack on top. Cover the ice pack with 2-3 more towels. Then let the cold “melt” into your body via the towels. It will take a good 20 minutes to do this but it will be slow and steady instead of instantly cold and causing more contractions. You can remove the cold pack after the area is numbed. Repeat as often as needed. The relief is instant.

2. Have Sex and Have a Good Orgasm

An orgasm is a good way to relax your entire nervous system – plus it’s a way to boost endorphins. Endorphins kill pain. During sex, there will be an automatic tightening of some muscles and then a relaxation of them when the orgasm happens. Some of these muscles are in the uterus. 

3. Have a Cup of Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is a very relaxing herb. It works directly on the nervous system. And that’s good when you are looking for severe menstrual cramps relief. Chamomile tea has been one of several ancient remedies used for severe cramps for decades. When you can relax the muscles directly, you can get desired results. 

4. Check Your Vitamin D Levels

In one study, women who received a high dose of vitamin D3 had 41% less menstrual pain compared to those that didn’t get the vitamin D3. The study didn’t mention whether or not the women were initially vitamin D3 deficient. 

5. Magnesium Oil

Magnesium oil is generally magnesium chloride and it goes directly into the cells of the skin. That’s why it’s so effective. It comes in liquid form. Simply pour a little into your hand and then massage it into the skin over where the cramps are. You can get it online at health food stores. It’s one of the remedies for severe cramps that can be counted on working well instantly. 

6. Period Vitamin 

Without bringing up a Period Vitamin we’d be forgetting one of the long term effective strategies. This vitamin supplement contains vitamins, minerals and herbs that support the reproductive tract. They’re the most important nutrients needed for the body during your periods and during your childbearing years. What you can expect is long-term benefits for your PMS, including cramps.

7. Boron

Boron is a mineral that when deficient, will actually cause the periods to stop. However, you still might have cramps (severe cramps but no period).  High boron foods are peanuts and apples and you can get the mineral into your body that way. 

Whenever you get cramps – whether it’s cramps a week before your period or during your period, there are solutions. Some are long-term and others are short-term. The key is to mix both of them together to finally find your answer. Check out our ebook on the solutions to cramps that you will find helpful. With all the solutions in one place, you are set and can dedicate your time appropriately to find a solution.