Ice For Menstrual Cramps

Studies have found that physical exercise may help reduce the pain of menstrual cramps.

Ice for menstrual cramps.

We ll break down how to tell the difference between typical and severe cramps go over what can cause severe cramps and offer tips for relief. Adequate calcium intake may also help relieve menstrual cramps. Heat is to be applied in chronic cases of cramps while ice is to be applied within 48 hours of the cramping injury. According to yvonne bohn md ob gyn at providence saint john s health center in santa monica california there s no definitive support for using heat on menstrual cramps but she does recommend it.

Heat and cold therapy both are useful in different types of injuries including muscle cramps. Try using both hot and cold packs to see which works best for you. Painful cramps can also be managed with ice packs. Soaking in a hot bath or using a heating pad hot water bottle or heat patch on your lower abdomen might ease menstrual cramps.

A number of studies have indicated that vitamin e omega 3 fatty acids vitamin b 1 thiamin vitamin b 6 and magnesium supplements might reduce menstrual cramps. Foods like milk cheese and ice cream contain arachidonic acid an omega 6 fatty acid which can increase inflammation. Severe menstrual cramps can affect your daily life. Effectiveness of ice packs lies in the time gap in its application.

Cold packs reduce bleeding as they cause blood vessel constriction and subsequent reduction in the loss of blood. March 26 2001 women have often turned to the soothing warmth from a heating pad to help ease the pain of menstrual cramps doctors however say they are still trying to determine if the. In a study of young women those who took a supplement containing 1 000 milligrams of calcium per day beginning on day 15 of their menstrual cycle until menstrual pain stopped in the following cycle experienced less intense menstrual pain than those who took a placebo. These packs ease inflammation and swelling too.