Understanding, Treating, and Managing Menstrual Pain and Cramps

A woman lying in bed having menstrual pain

Let’s face it — periods can affect your body in more ways than one. PMS symptoms can really take their toll, and affect you physically and emotionally. Some women find painful menstrual cramps to be completely debilitating — in fact, 10% of women say that their periods put a stop to their day to day activities!¹

What are the common symptoms of menstrual pain?^2,3

Female body icon with a point at the lower abdomen

Abdominal cramping and pain

Throbbing cramps take place in the lower abdominal area and can be dull or sharp. In addition to stomach pain, pain can also creep into the lower back and thighs.

Female body icon with a point at the head

Headaches

Changing estrogen levels can contribute to pesky headaches and even migraines before or during your period. Menstrual migraines can range in both intensity and duration, sometimes lasting up to three days longer than a normal migraine.⁴

Aches

General achiness and a feeling of fatigue can occur throughout the body, which may be experienced as dull joint pain or soreness in the muscles.

How can you treat your menstrual pain symptoms?

Try applying heat over your stomach

Some women feel better after applying a heating pad or hot water bottle on the low belly for up to an hour. Heat helps to relax the muscles around the abdomen and ease sensations of pain.

Stay properly hydrated

Focus on drinking lots of water or soothing herbal teas to prevent dehydration.⁵ Try drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day for optimal effects.

Try over‐the‐counter treatment

MOTRIN^® Liquid Gels and Tablets contain ibuprofen, which can target the source of your pain and relieve the pain from inflammation that is causing your cramps — both formats are available in Regular Strength with 200mg of ibuprofen and Super Strength with 400mg of ibuprofen to effectively ease menstrual pain symptoms. You’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief and forget all about your period pain. That means you’ll be off the couch and back on your feet before you know it!

This information does not constitute a diagnosis of any medical condition or medical advice. Do not substitute this information for medical advice. Always consult your physician or health care provider if you have medical or health questions or concerns. To be sure this product is right for you, always read and follow the label.

References

1 http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/menstrual‐pain#1
2 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-daily-headaches/in-depth/headaches/art-20046729
3 http://www.everydayhealth.com/pms/mood‐swings.aspx
4 http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain‐management/headache/understanding‐menstrual‐migraines.aspx
5 http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/menstrual-pain