Do you suffer with bad twinges a couple of weeks before your period?
There’s a few different possibilities for this pain around ovulation. The most likely is due to elevated prostaglandin levels. Prostaglandins are a group of lipids (fats) which are naturally occurring in our body.
There are two types of prostaglandins – pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory and we need both in the right amounts to stay well. Insulin resistance, oestrogen dominance and excess inflammation in the body (caused primarily by diet and stress) reduce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins while unfortunately increasing pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. This is the most common issue with period pain, ovulation pain and menstrual migraines.
Simple ways to help include:
- Prioritising your sleep (yes, I agree, this is easier said than done!)
- Doing something everyday to calm your nervous system, like meditation, journaling, yoga, time in nature
- Making sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet. That means each plate is 50% veggies and has protein and healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, seeds etc.
- Supporting your body’s natural detoxification by making sure you have daily poops and use skin brushing, cold showers and/or castor oil packs are all important too.
Ovulation pain is also common if someone has ovarian cysts or endometriosis. The same tips above can help this.
Finally, there could be a physical side to this pain, depending on where your ovary is positioned in your pelvic bowl, it could be trapped or in an uncomfortable position. This can happen after a fall, through poor posture or many other reasons. Working with a bodyworker to correct your pelvis alignment and doing the abdominal massage which I teach can really help ovulation and period pain. You can find out more here.
