In view of the many benefits that heat therapy can offer, you may have asked yourself whether it is safe to use a sauna during menstruation - as one of the ways to alleviate the often unpleasant or even painful symptoms. The positive effects of sauna bathing on relieving not only menstrual symptoms are quite astonishing, as evidenced by many scientific studies. That is why I focus on the specific symptoms that can be improved by sauna bathing during menstruation, things you should not forget, and I also include a few practical tips at the end.

Every woman is completely unique - whether it is her fingerprints, the colour of her skin or irises, or the way she manages pain. The intensity of pain we feel is influenced by many factors - genetics, current mood, emotional state, and our own sensitivity and perceptiveness not only to ourselves, but also to our surroundings. The reason I mention this in the very introduction is fairly simple.

Even though menstruation is a regular part of the functioning and cleansing processes of our body, many women (including me) associate their period with feelings of uncomfortable or even cramping pain in the lower abdomen, back, head… In some cases, nausea or hypersensitivity to noise, light, smells, or touch is also present. According to the Office on Women’s Health, up to 90% of all women suffer from some of these symptoms.  

These unpleasant signs typically accompany the beginning of the period, or they may appear several days before. In some women they occur during ovulation, and in the most severe cases, we may suffer from pain from ovulation until the end of our period. The causes range from genetic predisposition, psychosomatics, stress, excessive physical activity, to latent gynaecological diseases. 

Pain is therefore often one of the reasons why so many women resort to heat therapy during their period, usually applied locally, in the form of warm compresses or hot water in the tub or shower. However, these are not the only ways available to relieve menstrual discomfort. Another one is heat exposure in the sauna.

Can a sauna help to relieve period pains?

Heat therapy has been used for treatment and wellness for thousands of years. The health benefits associated with regular and intentional heat exposure are confirmed by modern medicine and a number of scientific studies. We are now going to see which specific period symptoms can be alleviated by sauna bathing.

Cramps, back ache and joint pain

The aches and cramps are often caused not only by a disturbance in the balance of hormones produced by the ovaries - estrogens and progesterone - and uterine hypoperfusion due to uterine contractions, but mainly by high levels of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are unique chemical compounds which influence muscle contractions in the uterus - these are stronger during menstruation than in other phases of the cycle. 

If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can compress surrounding blood vessels, interrupting the supply of oxygen to the muscle tissue. When a part of a muscle loses its oxygen supply for a short while, we start to feel pain. This is where the heat from the sauna helps to stimulate blood vessels, allowing them to open properly. This in turn leads to muscle relaxation (the amount of released prostaglandins decreases), and also to pain relief. 

Since the heat of the sauna helps to increase the circulation of blood cells and blood rich in oxygen, it also helps to improve the supply of nutrients and blood elements, and to flush out metabolic waste (such as lactic acid) through the bloodstream from our muscles, reducing the overall inflammation of the organism at the same time. Sauna bathing also increases the elasticity of collagen fibres, reduces joint stiffness and has a beneficial effect on joint capsules whose function is impaired by degenerative pathological changes. In addition, a 2019 study published in the scientific journal Anesthesia and Pain Medicine found that using a traditional sauna twice a day for approximately 15 minutes has the potential to reduce back pain. An improvement was confirmed by 70 % of participants.

Headaches

Regular sauna bathing is a simple form of treatment which effectively helps to reduce the intensity of chronic headaches, as supported by the findings of various scientific studies. One of them, published in the American National Institute of Health, studied the effects of sauna bathing on a total of 37 individuals suffering from chronic tension-type headache (just so you know, this means at least 15 episodes of headaches per month). The control group received advice and education concerning their headaches, while the intervention group received the same information and also attended a sauna regularly for 8 weeks. At the final evaluation of both groups, the intervention group reported fewer problems with sleep, headaches, and also depression. You can read more about the incredible benefits of sauna bathing for mental health here.

So what happens in the human body during sauna bathing that it affects something like a headache? A cascade of biochemical changes is triggered in our organism in a sauna, and these in turn affect the whole body - our circulation, the autonomic nervous system, brain waves, and cardiovascular system. 

The same as with any other heat therapy, sauna bathing causes an increase of heart rate, dilation of blood vessels, and the brain starts to release neurotransmitters similar to those we produce during physical exercise - dopamine, beta-endorphins, and serotonin, which are all natural “pain-killers”. All these factors cause muscle relaxation, reducing any tension, especially in the jaws, neck, and upper back.

While relaxing in the heat of a sauna, the body naturally and effortlessly starts to return to a state of relaxation and regeneration, and a significant change in brain activity occurs. The heat of the sauna relaxes the autonomic nervous system, which induces the brain’s transition from beta waves (generally speaking, when we are productive during the day, our brain is in beta - a higher level of activity - in order to cope with everyday activities) to alpha waves, and the muscular system begins to relax.

When the brain waves slow down, the muscles relax, the quality of sleep improves, and headaches become less frequent and less intense. You can read an entire article on how sauna bathing affects the human brain here.

Acne

Acne is often caused by hormonal imbalances and impurities caught in the pores of the skin. Fortunately, the human body is equipped with its own detoxification system, and a study published in 2011 in the Archives of Environmental and Contamination Toxicology journal showed that many toxic elements are primarily exuded with sweat. Sweating, especially during sauna bathing, makes it easier for the pores to open, thus facilitating a more efficient elimination of impurities and bacteria from the body, even including some heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, nickel, or cadmium. Sauna also helps to cleanse the body of other organic and inorganic compounds.

In addition, scientific evidence shows a clear link between sauna bathing and the stimulation of mitochondria - generators of chemical reactions in the body - and the production of enzymes which stimulate skin cell regeneration, thus improving our complexion. Heat therapy also increases the energetic needs of our mitochondria, and these respond by using blood oxygen more efficiently. This process is called oxidative phosphorylation. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that repeated heat stress exposure for 6 consecutive days has an effect on increasing mitochondrial function by 28 %, among other things.

What you shouldn’t forget when sauna bathing on your period

Due to increased blood circulation, sauna bathing can speed up the arrival of the upcoming period, but also promote a more regular cycle. This is thanks to the mental and physical relaxation that sauna bathing induces. When we are stressed, the pituitary gland produces more cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones may reduce the production of oestrogen and progesterone which contribute to a regular menstrual cycle.

The beneficial effects of sauna bathing not only on alleviating period symptoms are really astonishing. I offer you a few practical tips that you might want to keep in mind in order to enjoy your heat therapy to the maximum:

• Watch your water intake, both before the sauna and after it.
• Stretch lightly while in the sauna; you can even gently massage your lower abdomen and back.
• Choose the period product that suits you best - personally, I prefer a menstrual cup, but I know women who feel better with period underwear. 
• Do not overdo it. Know your limits and choose a type of sauna which feels right for you.

Author: Kateřina Kožíšková