5 things that help with period pain

Illustration of Sotu
By Sotu
Updated 21 June 2026 · 4 min read

General information, not medical advice — see your GP or pharmacist for severe, persistent, or worsening symptoms.

The five, at a glance

1Seed cycling, as my monthly rhythm2Omega-3 foods, with a magnesium habit3Hibiscus tea, starting a week before4A warm pack, the second it hits5Gentle yoga to release the tension
1

Seed cycling, as my monthly rhythm

I'll be straight with you: the science on seed cycling is thin, and I'm telling you what works for me, not handing you a proven cure. But eating certain seeds in each half of my cycle has become a small ritual, and my months genuinely feel steadier since I started. The idea is to lean into the natural rise and fall of your hormones with the nutrients in the seeds — take it as a gentle habit, not a guarantee.

Try it
Days 1–14 (follicular): a tablespoon or two of pumpkin and flax seeds a day
Days 15–28 (luteal): switch to sunflower and sesame seeds
Consistency is the whole thing — this is a months-long habit, not a one-off fix
2

Omega-3 foods, with a magnesium habit

Cramps are partly inflammation, and this is the one in my routine that does have research behind it — omega-3 is a genuine anti-inflammatory. I get mine from walnuts, chia and omega-3 eggs, with an algae supplement on top, and I pair it with magnesium, which works as a muscle relaxant. Between them, they take the edge off over the month rather than in the moment.

Self-care interventions for dysmenorrhea · review (NIH/PMC)

Try it
Load up on walnuts, chia and omega-3 eggs, or an algae supplement if plant-based
Add a daily magnesium — citrate or glycinate
Give it a few weeks; this one builds up rather than working same-day
3

Hibiscus tea, starting a week before

Another personal one, and I'll own that — I can't point you to a study proving the timing, so treat this as my ritual, not medical fact. A warm cup of hibiscus tea every day from about a week before my period is due genuinely makes the days that follow feel more manageable for me. The warmth and the hydration help; the rest might just be ritual, and honestly I'm fine with that.

Try it
Start a daily warm cup about 7 days before your period is due
Keep it up through the first day or two
Stay hydrated generally — that part is always worth it
4

A warm pack, the second it hits

If I could only keep one thing on this list, it would be heat — and it is also the one with the strongest evidence, working about as well as ibuprofen for cramps by relaxing the contracting muscle and boosting blood flow. Hot water bottle, microwavable rice bag, plug-in pad, whatever you have to hand. It is a gentle, immediate hug for your body when it feels the most vulnerable.

Heat therapy for dysmenorrhea · meta-analysis (NIH/PMC)

Try it
Hold it to your lower tummy or your lower back
Keep a layer between it and your skin so you do not burn
Stash a stick-on heat patch in your bag for work and travel
5

Gentle yoga to release the tension

When I am in pain, a hard workout is unthinkable — but a few slow, restorative poses ease the pressure that builds in my hips and lower back. Child's pose and cat-cow are my go-tos; they gently stretch everything out without asking anything of me.

Try it
Child's pose: kneel, sit back on your heels, stretch your arms forward, forehead down
Cat-cow: on hands and knees, slowly arch your back up, then let your belly drop and chest lift
Breathe deeply into your lower back and go slow

What didn't make the list

Gritting your teeth and calling it normal

The advice I got for years. Powering through on willpower alone is not a plan, and pain that flattens your life every single month is worth taking seriously — not normalising.

Big-promise "hormone balance" supplements

The pricey ones that swear they will fix everything. I stick to simple omega-3 and magnesium and treat the rest as ritual, not medicine — your money is better spent on a good heat pack.

Questions people ask

Does seed cycling actually work?

Honestly? The evidence is thin, and I will not pretend otherwise. I do it because my cycles feel steadier and it costs me nothing — but if you try it, treat it as a gentle habit rather than a cure, and do not let it replace the things that genuinely help, like heat.

Why do my legs ache during my period?

The prostaglandins that make your uterus contract also reach the muscles in your lower back and legs, and swelling and fluid in the pelvis can press on nearby nerves — so heavy, aching legs are a real ripple effect, not in your head. Heat and gentle movement help here too.

When should I see a doctor?

If your pain regularly stops you working or sleeping, keeps getting worse, or none of this touches it, please see a GP. Severe period pain can be a sign of something treatable like endometriosis, and you really do not have to just live with it.

Sources

  1. NHS — Period pain
  2. Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: meta-analysis (NIH/PMC)
  3. Self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: review (NIH/PMC)
Illustration of Sotu

Sotu writes about the things that quietly run your day — periods, ADHD, focus, the body stuff nobody warns you about. She writes from lived experience and checks the claims against real sources; she is not a doctor, and her lists point you to one when that is what you need. More from Sotu →

Five things that help, every Sunday.

One list a week, picked by hand.