Menstrual pain is something that affects women around the globe. Women have tried many methods to ease the pain and some have actually brought relief. One thing you may not have tried yet is treating menstrual pain with magnet therapy.

You know what menstrual cramps are; those mild contractions or aches and pains in your lower abdomen. Normally they occur right before menstruation starts and last a few days. For some women the monthly discomfort is more than they can bear but they don’t want to use medications to ease the pain. Magnetic therapy has been used to treat a variety of aches and pains. Originally used for arthritis, it has now expanded to other forms of pain relief.

Magnets create a field around them, and some believe that this magnetic field can block pain. This may be because the pain signals are blocked from ever reaching the brain. The effect is supposed to be relief from menstrual cramps so you can go about your day free of pain.

Find several static magnets. These are magnets which create an unchanging field. Once they are placed on the body, you won’t have to worry about their effectiveness changing. Static magnets are similar to ones you might find to stick messages to your refrigerator; however, you’ll probably want to find static magnets specifically made for easing pain.

As with any self-treatment you do at home, be sure to read the instructions before using the magnet kit. For menstrual cramps, you’ll want to attach the magnets to your clothing, as close to the skin as possible. This may mean sewing the magnets into the underwear so they are located near the area of pain, or putting them in a pouch or belt.

You may need several sessions of using the magnets before you notice the pain subsiding. Keep the magnets in place only for the recommended time. This will ensure you don’t become used to the magnets, which could decrease how effective they are.

For the magnets to be the most effective, take them off as instructed and leave them off until told to put them on again.

Obviously your life will have to go on while you’re using magnet therapy. Remove the magnets prior to eating and then wait for at least an hour after you’ve eaten to avoid interfering with digestion.

Magnets may not allow muscles in your digestive system to work properly, so it’s important to leave them off while eating and for a short time after.

People using pacemakers or other devices such as defibrillators, insulin pumps, or liver infusion pumps should avoid magnets anywhere near these devices. Magnetic fields may affect the way the device works and could cause serious health conditions.

Menstrual pain isn’t something you have to endure each month. By using traditional and non-traditional methods, such as treating menstrual pain with magnet therapy, you may find a way to end the pain you feel each month.

* Increase foods rich in thiamine including cooked lentils, long-grain brown rice, Brazil nuts, pecans, spinach, cantaloupe, milk, and eggs. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic believe thiamine helps relieve cramping during menstruation.

* Eliminate trans-fatty acids, not only during your period, but for the sake of your overall health. Trans-fatty acids, found in commercially prepared pastries containing partially hydrogenated oils, and in certain margarines, may increase cramping. They are most commonly found in fast food, and many be another reason for your strange and uncontrollable cravings during this time of the month. If you can reduce or eliminate transfats, you may feel some relief from cramps.

*Eat more fiber. It can help control cravings and reduce bloat by reducing constipation and keeping your bowels and digestion working well.

*Avoid sugary foods, which can produce wild energy and mood swings. Also avoid chocolate, which can be high in calories and fat unless you eat the 85% pure variety.

Many people don’t believe changing your eating habits can affect whether or not you get menstrual cramps, or affect the severity of them. But it is possible for menstrual cramps to be reduced by eating some foods and avoiding others.

If it is possible to treat menstrual cramps with nutrition, why don’t more women use this method? Part of the reason is that they are not aware of the role nutrition plays in their overall well-being. Now that you know about menstrual cramps and nutrition’s role in reducing cramps, what changes will you make?

Women experiencing menstrual cramps may be willing to try almost anything to avoid having cramps each month. Did you know you can treat menstrual cramps with nutrition? If you’re tired of having cramps every time you have your period, why not think about changing your diet to improve your symptoms?

* Eat a diet consisting of a variety of foods. Low fat, high fiber diets appear to combat the salty or sweet foods women typically crave during their menstrual cycle. Besides helping avoid cravings, you’ll also have more energy and a more stable mood.

* Ensure your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need by taking a multivitamin each day. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium are particularly important before and during your monthly cycle.

* Eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, swordfish, and lake trout. You may also want to add walnuts, Brazil nuts, and olive oil. These foods help stabilize your mood and have an anti-inflammatory effect. They also reduce the effect of cramps because they block the production of prostaglandins.

* Add or increase the amount of flax seed you eat. They are very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Two teaspoons of ground flax seed a day will do wonders for reducing cramps. You may sprinkle them in cereal, over salad, or include them in baking. Be careful not to eat too many flaxseed in one day, however; eating too many has been reported to cause diarrhea.

* Reduce the amount of salt you consume during your period rather than taking diuretics to avoid the bloating and swelling you may experience with your monthly cycle. Alcohol will also cause you to retain water, so avoiding it during your period will only help improve your symptoms. Remember also that alcohol is a depressant, another reason to avoid it when you are already moody at this time of the month.

The death of a child is traumatic.  A miscarriage is also the death of a child.  Relationships have a hard time surviving when something like this happens, but it can be done ó together.  Learn to cope with your feelings and turn to each other.

Even if you think you don’t need it at the time, support will get you back on the road to recovery.  In the first place, you won’t feel like you are alone.  Support can come in many forms and all are to be embraced if you are to survive and try to get pregnant again.  Here are some suggestions:

1.  Allow yourself to grieve.  It doesn’t matter if your parents or your friends think that you have grieved long enough.  Grief is a process and only you will know when it is complete.  Take all of the time you need.

2.  Talk to your partner.  It’s okay to be in the company of friends, but your male partner is also grieving.  Don’t alienate him.  Discuss any feelings with him before discussing them with others.

3.  Go to counseling.  A counselor can answer all of your questions about how to proceed with your life.  You may be afraid to get pregnant again.  Counseling allows you to work through these feelings and think about a future family.

4.  Write in a journal.  You might not be ready to tell others what you feel.  Use your journal as a way to get out the anger, fear, denial and depressive feelings.

5.  Start a blog.  There are others who have gone through what you are dealing with right now.  Journal online about your feelings can give rise to other helpful outlets like sharing stories, prayer groups and online resources for those who have suffered miscarriages.

6.  Accept hospitality from others.  At first, the last thing you probably want to do is go about your normal routine.  Let your friends, church group and family bring you meals, offer to clean your home, sit with you and talk or just check in on you from time to time.  You don’t have to isolate yourself from those who love you.

Coping with loss is never easy.  There are many ways to deal with it that are constructive and will also be of help to others.