What causes mensural cramps and what can be done to stop it?
During the menstural cycle the body becomes very sesitive to pain due to hormonal influences, hence the sore breasts for some and the terrible pain of abdominal cramps. The cramps themselves are due to the contration of the smooth muscle tissue of the uterus. Smooth muscle is the type of muscle that you have no control over. The uterus contracts during the cycle in order to get rid of the unfertilised ovum (egg) and the linning of the uterine wall (which would have housed the fertilised egg). Its just like giving birth to an unfertilised egg. In order to reduce the pain you can either use pain killers which will block the pain receptors in the brain so that although their are contractions your body is not responding to them, or otherwise you can stop the contractions by using medication that will relax the smooth muscle tissue eg buscopan. It is worthy of note that relaxing the muscles of the uterus during mensturation may likely increase the amount of bleeding although you will be pai
