When that time of the month arrives, many women and young ladies experience cramps. This is the time to stock up on comfort foods to take the edge off the pain or fill your medicine cabinet with a bunch of ointments and pain killers to tone down the pain. If you are one of the “unlucky” women who experience menstrual cramps during the periods, give these home remedies a try to ease the pain associated with cramps before they become too much.

Take cinnamon tea; cinnamon is known for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that fight the pain that accompany menstruation. Just add a cinnamon tea bag in a hot cup of water for two to three minutes. If you find the taste is too strong, add some honey to your drink for extra sweetness.

Peppermint; this is another readily available remedy that relieves menstrual cramps by relaxing the muscles. Boil some peppermint leaves for a short duration of time and drain. For better taste, add some honey. Also, applying peppermint oil on the affected area eases the pain.

Drink water; taking a glass of warm or hot water helps the muscles in your lower abdomen to relax and, therefore, easing the pain. You can also obtain water from foods such as watermelons, cucumbers and the like.

Add some heat; cramps are caused by the contracting action of the uterine muscles. This means that if you apply some heat on your lower abdomen, the muscles will relax to ease the pain. You can use a bottle of hot water wrapped in a piece of towel or cloth if you don’t have a heating pad.

Exercise; exercising may not come in mind especially when you’re wriggling in pain but research has shown that light exercising such as walking or yoga reduces the pain associated with cramps. Exercising eases blood circulation to lower the pain.

These are helpful home remedies that work against cramps. You don’t have to buy drugs to fight the effects of cramps.