Is PMS Pain Normal? How to relieve it
The short answer is that PMS, period pain, abnormal periods, etc., may be common but is not normal. If you are ready to kick your PMS and period pain to the curb, I am here for you!
What is PMS Pain? Is It Normal?
PMS stands for "Premenstrual Syndrome" and is commonly used to refer to a range of symptoms a woman may experience before her period. There are over 150 different symptoms associated with PMS and 80% of menstruating women report experiencing PMS. Unfortunately, 5% of these women report experiencing debilitating PMS symptoms that keep them from living their day-to-day lives.
However, this does not mean you are destined for a life of painful, PMS-ridden cycles. In this article, I will talk about:
- PMS and the common symptoms
- PMS root causes
- My best tips for combating PMS symptoms
Common PMS Symptoms
As always, bio-individuality. Meaning, PMS shows itself in different ways for each woman and changes from cycle to cycle, as in, your PMS a few months ago may be completely different than what you are experiencing today. A few common symptoms of PMS are as follows:
- Mood swings
- Trouble sleeping
- Bloating and water retention
- Skin breakouts and acne
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches and migraines
- Backache
- Extreme food cravings (some food cravings in the luteal phase is perfectly normal and healthy. Listen and eat nourishing, whole foods.)
- Anxiety
But the good news is that PMS pain is easily preventable. Although some conditions, such as endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease can also cause period pain and be a bit more challenging, but not impossible, to manage. Read more on endometriosis natural remedies here.
PMS Root Causes
There are various root causes of PMS. Yes, sometimes PMs is a result of imbalance hormones (aka too much estrogen and/or not enough progesterone, etc.), but PMS is often due to imbalances in stress hormones and neurotransmitters. However, everything is connected.
Root Causes:
- Hormone imbalances
- Blood sugar (low and/or high)
- High stress
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Nutrient deficiencies (especially B6, magnesium, calcium, iodine, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin A)
- Thyroid problems
Now, let’s get into my favorite ways to prevent PMS. Best of all, each of these are natural: adequate sleep and stress-reduction, nutrition, movement, nutritional and herbal supplements.
4 Ways to Relieve Period Pain (PMS Pain)
Who says there's nothing you can do to relieve PMS pain? Follow these 4 tips to start feeling better from the inside out:
The Peace Love Hormones Way
1. Herbals + Supplements
Normally, the general practice is to treat the symptom, and not the cause of the symptom at hand. At Peace. Love. Hormones., we’ve developed the highest-quality herbals, including our PMS supplement, to help you restore the health and vitality of your menses.
With the use of organic, vegan, preservative-free and sugar-free ingredients, we take a holistic approach by healing PMS pain naturally, one herb at a time. There are many powerful herbs that are extremely beneficial for PMS pain relief.
For instance, ginger rhizome is a great anti-inflammatory herb. It blocks excess prostaglandin formation (pro-inflammatory chemicals). Excessive prostaglandins have been linked to menstrual cramps and severe pain, as they help the uterus contract during menstruation and shed its lining.
The use of orange peel is anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting. Moreover, it helps to replenish the body of missing nutrients that can lead to PMS and/or painful periods, skipped periods, heavy periods, and fatigue during and after your period.
Donq Quai Root and Raspberry Leaves are also essential for PMS pain. I know, at this point you’re wondering “How am I supposed to get all these things!?” Well, the good news is that I developed the perfect herbal remedy to soothe your PMS pain with those ingredients.
I also love magnesium and “prescribe” it for almost every hormonal condition including PMS, PCOS, headaches + migraines, perimenopause, endometriosis, and PMDD. Magnesium glycinate, taurate, and citrate are my favorites. I recommend purchasing a magnesium complex. Take up to 400 mg/day.
2. Adequate Sleep / Stress Reduction
We can only heal when we are in the parasympathetic mode, aka the rest and digest state. Sleep is a crucial way for our body and mind to detoxify, repair, and rejuvenate. Support your nervous system and sleep (Which supports 99.9% of your health) with my organic herbal sleep supplement.
Beyond sleep, how can you support your nervous system during the day? Can you workout / move your body outside? Stand barefoot in the grass? Practice vagal toning? Go to a yoga, dance, or other fitness class that boosts your mood? Spend time with your girl friends? The list goes on! Find what puts you in flow and in a state of calm and bliss.
3. Nutrition / Incorporate Essential Macronutrients
The Mediterranean-style of eating will be incredibly supportive for your hormone, ovulatory and menstrual health, therefore decreasing PMS. And did you know that cravings are our body’s way of telling us that you are missing an essential nutrient? Please, don’t ever restrict your body and mind of the raw material, food, that it needs to survive and thrive. Especially not before your period, while you are in your luteal phase. Did you know that the drop in estrogen we experience before our period causes a drop in serotonin, our feel-good brain chemical (neurotransmitter), which causes the craving for carbohydrates because carbohydrates produce serotonin? So, what to do? Eat nutrient-dense, complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, beans and legumes, gluten-free organic oatmeal, etc.
In addition, magnesium was also found to have a good effect on managing pain symptoms. Some of the foods that are rich in magnesium and Vitamin 6 include Kale, Avocado, bananas, Chickpeas, Beans, Legumes, oranges, salmon, and cacao.
Adequate protein will support your blood sugar levels which will reduce inflammation and improve your hormones and periods. Learn More about Protein intake for women's hormone health
Some of the foods you may want to avoid when you are nearing your periods and during your flow are:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Diary
- Soda
- Gluten
If you can't outright cut these foods from your life, then at least try to reduce their consumption. Take care of yourself by putting your health first. Everything else will follow.
4. Movement
I highly recommend cycle syncing your workouts. For more information, read here. Even just a 20 minute walk after meals, to support your blood sugar levels and to move your body, will do wonders! You don’t have to go zero to one hundred overnight. Build your way up to consistent, loving movement every day.
Relieve Your PMS Pain Today!
To continue to support your hormone and period health, continue to read our blog posts, listen to our podcasts, and check out our organic herbal remedies for liver health and detoxification, gut health, hormone health, and more!
