Posted in Category : Common Ailments | March 12, 2010

Leg Pain During Menstruation

Leg Cramps During Menstruation

Many women experience cramps and pain in the legs during menstruation. This is because during the monthly period, the uterus produces a kind of chemical called prostaglandin, which triggers the muscles to contract and expel body tissue and fluids. This causes a deficiency of minerals like calcium and magnesium in the bloodstream and leads to sudden, spasmodic pain in the lower half of the body.

Home Remedies for Leg Cramps During Menstruation

There are several natural solutions for this problem. Add a cup of chamomile tea into a tub of warm bathwater and soak your legs in this water for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, add two tablespoons of sea salts and half a cup of baking soda to a tub of bathwater and soak your legs in this solution for 10 minutes to get relief from leg cramps during menstruation. For another remedy, boil a little brown sugar and a small piece of ginger in two cups of water over a low flame, strain the decoction and allow it to cool before drinking. A simple dietary measure to prevent leg pains during this period is to eat a small bowl of unsweetened, homemade yogurt every morning at breakfast. You should also eat two teaspoons of pumpkin seeds every day for a week before your period is due. This helps in keeping the pain bearable during menstruation. Once the period begins, eat a banana before every meal. Drinking herbal tea made by blanching lemon and ginger together in hot water is also known to provide relief from menstrual cramps. Five days before the period is due, start consuming an infusion of a teaspoon each of cumin powder and honey mixed with half a cup of water once every day. This will prevent muscular contractions during menstruation. Another effective remedy is to fill up a clean sock with flax seeds and heat it inside the microwave for a couple of minutes. This sock should now be held against the muscles that are hurting. You may also massage your legs with mildly heated olive oil twice every day, preferably after bathing and before going to bed, in order to reduce the pain. Taking a brisk walk or doing a few basic leg stretching exercises can also relieve cramps. Also, make sure that your diet consists of natural sources of calcium and magnesium, so that the deficiency caused due to the loss of blood during menstruation is replenished. Eat lots of dairy products, eggs, soybeans, green, leafy vegetables, nuts and sea fish.

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