Menstrual cramps are present in most women’s lives once a month, causing great discomfort.
Every woman suffers or has suffered from menstrual cramps at least once in her life when she enters her fertile period.
As much as it is a pain that everyone will go through, it is very uncomfortable to feel it, because in some cases it can affect daily performance and even weaken it.
What not everyone knows, is that to relieve these cramps, we can count on not only the help of medicines, but also the Pilates Method that helps directly in the body, acting on possible pains that may affect the body.
Therefore, you will know what menstrual cramps are, how they affect a woman’s body, how it can be combated and how Pilates helps to relieve it.
The female body has reproductive organs which are: the uterus, ovaries and tubes.
Every month, these reproductive organs prepare to produce a baby and during this preparation, a layer inside the uterus called the endometrium is created.
When a woman experiences menstrual cramps, it is a sign that a new cycle is beginning, that is, there is an increase in the release of the substance that is responsible for contracting the uterus in order to eliminate the layer located on the inner face of the uterus that it grows to nourish the embryo (the endometrium).
When this phenomenon occurs, it is a sign that the egg has not been fertilized and thus, this layer is eliminated through bleeding (the famous menstruation).
This process can generate a lot of pain in the woman, because that face is detached from her body and this detachment is the main responsible for the pain.
In addition, during this period of menstrual cramps, the woman feels her body swollen because of the active progesterone another hormone called aldosterone.
This hormone is responsible for influencing the renal system, causing fluid retention in the body.
Types of menstrual cramps
There are two types of menstrual cramps that can affect a woman’s body: primary menstrual cramps and secondary menstrual cramps.
The primary menstrual cramps, accompanies the woman since her menarche (first menstruation) and occurs because of the woman’s own organism, or even for unknown causes.
This type of colic can persist in all subsequent periods or be relieved over time.
Secondary menstrual cramps, on the other hand, affect women over time, that is, they may not have experienced colic during the first menstrual periods, but they will suddenly feel it.
Most of the time, secondary menstrual cramps occur due to pelvic inflammatory diseases, endometriosis and fibroids that cause severe pain in women during their menstrual period.
Symptoms of menstrual cramps
When a woman experiences menstrual cramps, she may have several symptoms that may occur before and / or during menstruation, which are:
Motion sickness;
Diarrhea;
Vomiting;
Tiredness
Headache;
Nervousness;
Vertigo and fainting;
Abdominal pain and swelling;
Constipation;
Acne;
Weight gain;
Sore breasts;
Changes in appetite;
Bad mood;
Insomnia;
Depression;
Emotional sensitivity;
Anxiety;
Back pains;
Low self esteem.
During menstruation, a woman may experience some or all of these symptoms, which may be of low or high intensity.
When colic is accompanied by other high-intensity symptoms, a woman’s performance may be impaired by preventing her from performing even the simplest of everyday tasks.
Fighting menstrual cramps
When a woman has menstrual cramps, she does everything she can to relieve this pain quickly, as the discomfort can be very intense in some cases.
In specific cases with very severe pain, it is important that a specialist doctor is consulted so that he can assess the case and prescribe an appropriate treatment.
Only use medicines that your doctor prescribes, because the use of medications without a prescription can even help with colic, but it can bring other types of problems if used incorrectly.
Taking teas also helps to combat colic, as some of them have antispasmodic effects that help in relieving pain.
There are also homeopathic treatments that are done using natural remedies prescribed by a specialist doctor, helping to combat menstrual cramps.
If the pain is very severe, it is very important to try to relax, so get some rest, massage and / or use hot water bags, or even a warm cloth to cover the area.
Such care will collaborate to combat menstrual cramps, providing an improvement in self-esteem