An App for Menstrual Cramps? ‘Luna’ Gives Women Relief From Period Pains

A new app that may give users relief from period cramps have been developed by researchers at the Charite Universitatsmedizin in Germany. The app is known to have acupressure features that could help lessen period pains in women who are susceptible to them. The app includes visual description of pressure points that the user could massage or apply pressure to. The acupuncture techniques may work better if used in combination with traditional methods used to relieve period pains such as pills and hormones.

The app relies on acupressure techniques to relieve menstrual cramps, which uses specific points in the body to treat health problems. The technique works towards restoring and balancing the flow of qi energy in the body.

Menstrual cramps affect more than half of young women in their childbearing years. It can be described as an intense shooting pain that radiates from the lower abdomen and spreads towards other parts of the body such as the legs and back. Other symptoms such as headaches, backache, nausea and diarrhoea can also manifest in some women with period problems.

The app was tested on 221 women aged between 18 and 34, suffering from serious period pains. The study showed that within three months of using the app, 37 percent of all the participants in the group reported a 50 percent reduction in the intensity of the pain. The findings were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

What Are The Other Methods To Relieve Period Cramps?

Period cramps are quite widespread and affect 50 to 90 percent of women. In some, the pain can be so debilitating that women stay tethered to their homes and often have to miss work. Traditional ways to mitigate period pains include:

Drinking more water

Hydrating yourself with 6-7 glasses of water a day can make your periods bearable. Water also helps to relieve the dehydration caused by diarrhoea during periods.

Limiting caffeine

Drinking too much coffee, tea or cola during periods can intensify period pains. Instead of going off caffeine completely, try tapering your intake during those days. Have decaffeinated coffee or tisanes to satisfy your beverage craving during those days.

Using a heating pad or a hot water bag

Relieve your period pains with a hot water bag against your lower abdomen. The heat helps in relaxing the tensed muscles, enabling easy flow of blood and relieving cramps during menses.

Massaging with essential oils

Certain essential oils can be very relaxing and aid in lessening the intensity of period pains. Lavender essential oil is one of the best antidotes for period pains. A few drops in a carrier oil like castor or sunflower oil, massaged on the abdomen gives relief from the pain.

Having magnesium-rich foods

Magnesium is an essential micronutrient that helps relaxing muscles and promoting nerve health. During cramps, it helps in calming the tensed muscles and relieving the pain.

Menstrual pain is can be a seriously debiliating condition, but it is also taken lightly both by sufferers and physicians. Medication to relieve the pain such as anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers cause a lot of damage in the long run. It's appreciable that an app like Luna that combines traditional wisdom with modern technology helps women break free from the period pains, without relying on medication.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2018 12:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).