11 Ways I Reduced My Period Pain with Natural Remedies

Hi! I’m Nicola. The founder of Fertility and I, and a naturopathic hormone health practitioner.

Once upon a time I would absolutely dread my period! I would be waiting anxiously for it to arrive, knowing that I would need to clear my whole schedule of any social events for those four days every month. Because, I knew that I would be bed-bound and unable to leave the house for at least the first two days of my menstrual cycle.

I too suffered with very painful period pains (dysmenorrhoea) that would fluctuate on the period pain scale month-to-month. I always had painkillers, namely ibuprofen and paracetamol on stand-by to reduce period pain, as I didn’t know if a menstrual cycle was going to be a “good” one, or a “bad” one.

I suffered with this for 16 years, thinking that painful periods was “normal”. Well… I’m here to tell you this is not normal, and you don’t have to suffer.

Whilst the mild twinge is normal, period pain so bad that you can’t move is a problem, and the underlying issue needs to be addressed. And so, as much as painkillers can work for most women, they are merely a bandaid to reduce period pain, which is not useful in the long run because the root cause will still be there.

This is what I had to come to terms with in my own life too. I was constantly addressing the symptoms (the period pain), and not the issue that was causing it. For some women, the issue may be deeper reproductive health issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids. In this case, the starting point would be to get a diagnosis if you feel you may have one of these health conditions.

For other women, it may be a case of just taking a holistic look at your lifestyle habits, diet and nutrition as these have a huge impact on your menstrual health. Whichever resonates with you, once thing is for sure treating your period pain naturally includes taking a look at your nutrition, and lifestyle habits.

Once I began my naturopathic journey, and started reviewing my habits, I finally was able to reduce my period pain. My menstrual cramps reduced to the point that I didn’t have to cancel my social plans, and I didn’t have to stay in bed all day. I am here to help you, so that yours can too!

But, before we take a look at what I did, please do remember that everyone’s body is unique so what has worked for me, might not work for. And so, it’s important to get a detailed personalised consultation to investigate your own circumstances.

Now let’s get into it!

1. Tracked my cycle

You’re probably already doing this (I hope!).

I tracked my cycle over a number of years so that I knew exactly when my body is going through each phase of the menstrual cycle. This is important to reduce period pain because knowing where you are in the cycle, will help you to determine what your body needs, in addition to things you’ll need to avoid to help reduce your period pain.

I’ve used a number of different apps in the past, however I’ve been loyal to the Flo app for about five years now, due to its ease of use, features and accuracy. This app is pretty much spot on for me.

2. Kept a food diary

I tracked all my food and drink intake for around 2 weeks leading up to my period. In addition to this, I noted down how I felt during that day in regards to my mood, energy levels, physical well-being. This is important as the more you track what you’re eating and drinking, the easier it will be to identify patterns in relation to certain foods that may be having an impact on you.

3. I cut out ALL of my allergen foods

This was a HUGE milestone for me! Unfortunately, as much my taste buds love cheese and pasta my body doesn’t. I am lactose and gluten intolerant, and when ever I eat these substances I experience a lot of bloating and discomfort. These are typical signs of an imbalanced gut microbiome (dybiosis), which causes inflammation and oxidative stress on the body.

This worsens period pains because a small amount of inflammation is already present during your period due to prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance that signals to the uterine muscle to contract and expel it’s lining (menstruation). The higher the levels of prostaglandin the more painful the period. Therefore, keeping inflammation low is important.

This brings us on nicely to my next point…

3. I ate super clean 7 days before my period

It’s important to make sure that you’re eating a well-balanced nutrient-rich diet throughout the month, however I understand that it can be hard and we can slip up here and there. However, it is extremely important to do this 7-10 days before your period is due. Eating super clean, and cutting out sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods from your diet, is going to really help with reducing your period pain.

Once I cut out these foods from my diet, particularly around 10 days before my period, may period pain was almost non-existent.

Why? Because these foods are estrogen-based foods that cause inflammation, and elevated estrogen levels. The more estrogen-based foods you eat, the higher the level of estrogen in your body. This then thickens the uterine lining and it becomes very thick, and so the thicker the lining the more prostaglandin is needed to break it down which results in higher levels of period pain.

List of estrogen-based foods (not already mentioned) to avoid include:

• Red meat
• Alcohol
• All diary (milk, cheese etc.)
• Vegetable oil
• Deep fried foods

4. Increased antioxidants & anti-inflammatory foods

Alongside removing inflammatory foods from my diet, I also increased my intake of anti oxidiant-rich, and anti-inflammatory foods too. But again, increasing them even more so 7-10 days before my period.

Why? It goes without saying really, these foods reduce oxidative stress and inflammation on the body, which will help period pain.

Vitamin c, beta-carotene, vitamin e, and selenium are some of the most common anti-oxidants, along with foods such as:

• Leafy greens (spinach, kale)
• Berries (blueberries, strawberries,
• Bright vegetables
• Wholegrains (quinoa, brown rice)
• Nuts & seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds)

Fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon are also great as they are full of omega-3s which has anti-inflammatory properties.

5. Introduced Turmeric supplements

Still staying on the topic of anti-inflammatory foods, I also introduced a high-strength turmeric supplement which I take daily. Powerful, but yet often overlooked, turmeric is a fantastic herb for period pain. It has potent anti-inflammatory properties due it containing an active ingredient called curcumin.¹ The best supplements will contain black pepper with turmeric, as black pepper contains piperine which increases the curcumin absorption by 2000%. ²

6. Introduced Nettle Tea

I also introduced a daily cup of nettle tea because it contains so many essential nutrients, as well as it being anti-inflammatory. Nettle tea contains antioxidants including vitamins C, D and K. In addition to minerals such as iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Therefore, helping to reduce inflammation and combating period pain and fatigue.

However, please note that although nettle tea is safe some people have suffered from symptoms such as hives. So i’d advise speaking with a herbalist or naturopathic practitioner before trying.

7. Introduced a Magnesium Glycinate supplement

I started to take a daily magnesium glycinate supplement for it’s overall health benefits, and other properties too. Magnesium is responsible for over 300+ biological processes in the body, plus boost energy production and muscle relaxation which will help with period pain.

I opt for glycinate form because it’s easily absorbed into the body, and doesn’t upset your digestive system.

8. Low-impact exercises during my period

I know, I know. If you’re anything like me, exercising is probably the last thing that you’d want to do when you’re on your period. However, you’d be missing a trick! Moderate exercising such as walking may help to relieve your period pain, as movement releases endorphins the happy hormones which help reduce pain. Also your mood and blood flow will be boosted too!

When I started doing this, I always felt better after a light walk. Remember, it doesn’t need to be long at all 20 minutes maximum is a good start.

9. Better sleep hygiene

Now let’s talk about sleep! Creating a better sleep routine did wonders for me in terms of my mood, and fatigue. Poor sleep affects your menstrual cycle as it can create hormone imbance due to it being essential for the normal daily functioning of our bodies. Try to get at least 8 hours a night for optimum sleep, and creating a routine where you’re off your phone for at least 30 minutes before sleep time.

Light frequency sounds work for me to calm my mind before I fall asleep, so give it a try!

10. Better stress management

Stress is something that we cannot avoid in our daily lives as there’s stressors all around us. But, we can control how we respond to those stressors. Stress can cause so much havoc on our bodies, from hormonal imbalances to inflammation which will further exacerbate period pain. To minimise stress, I started to introduce some light stretching before bed and listening to stress reliving frequency sounds to clear my mind. 432 Hz is a great start and really helped me to tune in and meditate.

11. Increased my water intake

Unknown to me, I was dehydrated. I wasn’t drinking getting enough water, and this was also contributing to my fatigue.

Staying hydrated is absolutely essential because our body is mostly made up of water, and dehydration can negatively affect cells. Although, it may sound too simple, but dehydration can also impacts period pain because the blood flow is restricted in the body when dehydrated. As a result, the body cannot function properly leading to more pain.

So remember to drink lots of water, and include electrolytes too for proper hydration.

Final Thoughts…

So there you have it! My 11 ways on how I was able to reduce my period pain with natural remedies. It has indeed been a long road, which seemed dim and dark for a long time. But you’ll be pleased to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is possible to take control of your menstrual issues using natural remedies. It will just take effort, time and the support of a health professional if needed.

1. Peng, Y., Ao, M., Dong, B., Jiang, Y., Yu, L., Chen, Z., Hu, C., & Xu, R. (2021). Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Curcumin in the Inflammatory Diseases: Status, Limitations and Countermeasures. Drug design, development and therapy, 15, 4503–4525. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S327378 ↩︎
2. Prasad, S., Tyagi, A. K., & Aggarwal, B. B. (2014). Recent developments in delivery, bioavailability, absorption and metabolism of curcumin: the golden pigment from golden spice. Cancer research and treatment, 46(1), 2–18. https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2014.46.1.2 ↩︎