Why Do My Legs Hurt When I Am On My Period? Home Remedies

A woman during her child bearing age undergoes menstrual cycle every month. Usually the period of menses lasts between 3 to 7 days. Many women complain of pain and cramps in abdomen during this period. In medical terminology it is called dysmenorrhea. Some women may suffer from mild pain while in some woman the pain is severe which they are not able to bear. It can affect their daily activities.

Pain occurs mainly in the lower abdomen, but sometime it can also radiate to legs. There are several causes for this type of pain.

It can be just due to congestion in the blood vessels or can be caused due to some medical conditions.

Causes Of Leg Pain During Periods

Pain in abdomen during menstrual period is caused due to contraction of uterus. The uterus as well as other female genital organs are located in pelvis. Pelvis has rich supply of blood and is innervated with a network of nerves. Hence when pain originating from one point from uterus can travel or radiate to adjacent areas such as the lower back or in the thigh region of legs.

Usually the pain is bilateral, meaning in both sides of thigh. This is the main cause for leg pain during menses.

With excessive menstrual flow there is some amount of loss of minerals such as iron, potassium and magnesium. If the depletion of these minerals is considerable due to heavy flow, it can lead to spasm in skeletal muscles mainly, the thigh and calf muscles located in the upper and lower leg. Cramps can also result when there is dehydration. Some women start vomiting during menses which can lead to fluid loss from the body.

There are certain medical problems that may also produce radiating pain in leg due to menses. For example endometriosis is one such problem. It is a condition in which the endometrial lining generally inside the uterus may grow even on the outer surface of uterus and extend to ovaries and fallopian tube. A woman suffering from endometriosis often suffers from heavy periods abdominal and leg cramps. Pain in legs during menses is also associated with fibroids in uterus, especially if they are large.

Home Remedies For Leg Pain During Periods

Cramp in leg particularly occurring during menses is not serious concerning health issue. But at the same time it can affect the regular day to day activity of the woman during menses. There are several home remedies that will be useful for menstrual leg cramps are:

  • Drink enough water to stay hydrated as dehydration can cause cramping of legs. Coconut water and fruit juices can be useful as it replenishes the lost minerals during heavy flow. Coconut water contains an essential electrolyte potassium and magnesium.
  • Bananas contain rich amount of calcium and potassium. Both these salts help to reduce cramping in legs. Eat at least one or two bananas in a day to alleviate leg pain.
  • Drink chamomile tea as it helps to relax muscles of leg and alleviate pain.
  • It is important to increase iron content if the body has low serum iron. Eat diet that is rich in iron. Green leafy vegetables, animal liver, fish, poultry, egg, are rich source of dietary iron. If the woman is anemic she can also consume iron supplements.
  • Fenugreek tea is another natural home remedy that will help to alleviate abdominal and leg pain caused during menses.
  • A warm bath or hot massage is time tested remedy to reduce menstrual pain in legs and abdomen.