It sounds good, but UK researchers are saying exercise doesn’t help with menstrual cramps. After studying 650 university students, Birmingham University researchers found no link between exercise and period pain. Their findings were published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Among women in the study, 28% reported moderate or severe menstrual pain, while 72% reported little or no pain. Researchers accounted for factors such as weight, mood, ethnicity, use of the pill and smoking, but still no link was found between how much exercised was practiced and whether periods were painful. There was also no link between exercise or level of pain reported. While physical activity is still good for women, the study authors argue that the idea that it helps with period pain is merely anecdotal.

Ways to Relieve Cramps

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Aleve, Motrin and Advil are often recommended, and they’re more effective if taken before pain begins. If over-the-counter medicines don’t work for you, ask your doctor about prescription-strength pain relievers.
• Heating pads relieve cramps, but make sure you follow safety precautions.
• Oral contraceptives are popular and often effective methods for controlling menstrual pain.
• Some women may need additional treatment. If you suffer from (or suspect) endometriosis or other conditions like fibroids, seek help. Your doctor may order imaging tests, or you may need a laparoscopy for diagnosis or treatment of some conditions.

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Exercise for Period Pain? Maybe Not.

The largest study ever of endometriosis in pregnant women, published online at Human Reproduction, found that the condition is a major risk factor for premature birth. Dr. Henrik Falconer, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, indicated his team found that women with endo also had a higher risk of other pregnancy complications and are more likely to give birth through Caesarean section.

“Our findings indicate that women with endometriosis may be considered a high risk group and have special care during pregnancy,” said Dr. Falconer. He presented the study findings today at the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

Researchers say that pregnant women with endo are also more prone to pre-eclampsia, which involves the development of high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine during pregnancy.

While this study may seem to be gloomy news, Dr. Falconer urges that’s it’s good info to have:

“Our research provides clinicians with important information in the search for the factors associated with premature birth. Given that endometriosis is relatively common in women of childbearing age, we hope that our results will lead to pregnant women with this condition receiving extra attention, thus enabling them to have normal pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies.”

If you’re an endo sufferer, have you had complications during pregnancy?

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Endometriosis During Pregnancy

Dr Anna-Sofia Melin, a specialist doctor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden) presented earlier in the week at the 23rd annual meeting of the European European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology:

“Several epidemiological studies have shown an increased cancer risk among women with endometriosis, especially ovarian cancer.

Infertility and never having given birth (nulliparity) are also known risk factors for different types of cancer, such as breast and endometrial cancer.

However, as far as we know, this is the first study to investigate cancer risk among women with endometriosis that also stratifies for parity.”

Of unknown cause, endometriosis is a condition wherein the tissue that should line the surface of the woman’s uterus grows somewhere else – like the ovaries, behind the uterus, the bladder – leading to pain, heavy periods and even infertility.

The researchers found that endometriosis increased the risk of developing ovarian cancer by more than a third (37%) above the risk for the normal population of women without endometriosis.

There were similar increases in risk for endocrine tumours (38%), kidney cancer (36%) and thyroid cancer (33%). Slightly lower increases were found for brain tumours (27%) and malignant melanoma (23%), and there was a small increased risk of breast cancer (8%).

Interestingly, women with endometriosis had a reduced risk of cervical cancer of just under a third (29%).

Find more details from the full report.

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Endometriosis and Risk of Certain Cancers