Causes and Factors of Menstrual Pain
I believe there are two major causes of menstrual pain.
One is cold, and the other is posture misalignment.
What is menstrual pain?
In simple terms, it is the abnormal tension of the muscles around the uterus.
Historically, ‘bleeding’ was a significant issue related to life-threatening situations. With advances in medicine, we can now manage even minor bleeding more effectively. However, our instinct is to protect our body, leading to a strong reaction.
To prevent the critical issue of bleeding, the muscles contract to try to stop the bleeding. It is thought that this muscle contraction is what causes the pain.
Menstruation, however, is the process of expelling what the body no longer needs as ‘blood.’ But, the body instinctively reacts to bleeding as a life-threatening crisis. It tries even harder to contract the muscles to stop the bleeding.
As a result, you experience a dull pain in the lower abdomen, as if everything is tightening and pressing.
And since the body is trying to expel what it no longer needs, it responds by attempting to increase blood flow to overcome the resistance in the muscles. This results in the body producing more blood to force it out, even if it means damaging the uterine walls and increasing bleeding.
This creates a vicious cycle where the body increases blood flow to combat the pain and ends up causing more bleeding. This cycle is believed to contribute to conditions like endometriosis. This is also why severe menstrual pain is often advised to be checked by a doctor.
Muscles are present throughout the body, not just in the abdomen, so their effects can be felt in other areas as well. You might experience neck and shoulder stiffness, pain, headaches, or discomfort in the legs.
I’ve personally experienced pain so severe that it felt like my upper and lower body were being torn apart, leading me to take painkillers.
By the way, this type of pain is different from the muscle soreness you feel after exercise, so please don’t dismiss it as just muscle pain. Some people experience pain so intense that it feels like giving birth every month.”
In the world of traditional Chinese medicine, it is noted that people who have cold bodies tend to experience more severe menstrual pain.
Cold causes muscle tension. In reality, women tend to have less muscle mass compared to men and are therefore more prone to feeling cold. Increasing muscle mass can raise body temperature and help maintain it. However, adding too much muscle can also burden the body, so a balanced amount is ideal. There are indeed cases where girls who joined sports teams experienced their periods stopping due to excessive exercise. Overdoing it with exercise isn’t beneficial for the body.
When your posture is misaligned, blood vessels and the uterus are compressed in unnatural ways, leading to poor circulation. This, in turn, can exacerbate feelings of cold and intensify pain.
To address these issues, there are mainly two approaches. One is to correct any misalignment in the body and pelvis. This improves blood flow and makes it easier to maintain a higher body temperature.
I don’t have specialized knowledge in osteopathy or chiropractic care. If you are aware of misalignments in your body, seeking out a specialist in these fields might be a good option. Additionally, there are many videos on YouTube about correcting misalignment. I encourage you to find a method that suits your body.
The second approach is dietary changes.
Next Article→Foods to Relieve Menstrual Pain
