The Good Health Guide

posted 2 April 2007 (from an article in The Good Health Guide newsletter Issue 3, 2004
by Rachel Masika

I’ve had bad period pain from the age of 13 (I’m now 36). I get it on the first day of my period - really sharp cramps that leave me crawling on the floor in pain unless I take painkillers. The only thing which has ever helped (aside from taking painkillers which I’d rather not do) is reflexology.

I had reflexology for about a year in my late twenties, & there was less pain right from the very first session. I was able to immediately reduce the medication & then stop taking it altogether by the third month as I was no longer in any pain. I had reflexology weekly for the first six months then went down to once a fortnight. I then had to stop having treatments as my work hours got longer & didn’t fit in with the reflexologist I was seeing. The pain gradually came back once I stopped.

Note from the editor: period pain is often caused or made worse by magnesium deficiency, so it can be helpful to supplement this mineral.