Every product Lily & Fi makes, every recommendation we offer, every piece of content we publish is grounded in one framework: the six evidence-based pillars that form the complete picture of menstrual health. This is not wellness marketing. This is the science.
Shop the products READ THE BLOGPeriod pain is real, measurable, and in many cases, clinically significant. “Pushing through” is not a health strategy. Evidence-based pain management is.
84%
of menstruating people experience dysmenorrhea (period pain). Of these, approximately 1 in 5 reports pain severe enough to disrupt daily activities. Fewer than half seek medical attention.
Ferries-Rowe, Corey & Archer, Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2020
Dysmenorrhea is pain associated with menstruation, classified as either primary (no underlying pathological cause) or secondary (associated with a diagnosable condition such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, or uterine fibroids). Primary dysmenorrhea is caused by elevated prostaglandin production in the uterine lining during menstruation — these hormone-like chemicals trigger uterine contractions, reduce blood flow, and generate pain that can radiate to the lower back, thighs, and abdomen.[1]
Secondary dysmenorrhea is where the clinical under-recognition becomes most harmful. Endometriosis — a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus — affects approximately 1 in 10 menstruating people globally, yet carries an average diagnostic delay of 7–10 years. In populations of colour, this delay is often longer, compounded by documented biases in how pain is assessed and treated in clinical settings.
Pain that begins before menstruation, worsens over years rather than improving, causes nausea or vomiting, is accompanied by heavy or irregular bleeding, or significantly disrupts daily function should prompt evaluation for endometriosis, adenomyosis, or fibroids. These are not “bad periods.” They are medical conditions that are treatable — if diagnosed
HEAT THERAPY
Clinical evidence supports the application of continuous low-level heat (approximately 38–40°C) as a first-line intervention for primary dysmenorrhea. A randomised controlled trial found that continuous heat wrap therapy provided pain relief comparable to ibuprofen and superior to paracetamol, with the additional benefit of sustained relief beyond the application period.[2] The mechanism is twofold: heat increases local blood flow (counteracting the prostaglandin-driven vasoconstriction that causes pain) and reduces muscle spasm in the uterine wall.
MOVEMENT
A 2019 Cochrane systematic review — the highest level of evidence in clinical research — examined exercise interventions for dysmenorrhea. Armour and colleagues reviewed randomised controlled trials and found moderate-quality evidence that exercise, particularly low-to-moderate intensity aerobic activity, significantly reduces pain intensity during menstruation.[3] The working mechanism involves prostaglandin reduction and increased endorphin release. Counterintuitively, exercise during menstruation, rather than rest, is what the evidence supports.
Anti-inflammatory Nutrition
Prostaglandin synthesis — the biological process driving period pain — draws on arachidonic acid, found abundantly in certain dietary fats. Omega-3 fatty acids compete with arachidonic acid in this pathway, effectively reducing prostaglandin production. Multiple randomised controlled trials have demonstrated that omega-3 supplementation reduces dysmenorrhea severity. A 2020 meta-analysis confirmed statistically significant reductions in pain scores for women supplementing with fish oil or marine omega-3s versus placebo.[4]
Caribbean cultural frameworks frequently construct high pain tolerance during menstruation as something to be expected, endured, and not discussed. “Pushing through” is framed as strength. The science says otherwise: untreated dysmenorrhea is associated with central sensitization over time — meaning the nervous system becomes increasingly responsive to pain signals. Managing pain early and consistently is not weakness. It is evidence-based practice. Lily & Fi will not perpetuate the narrative that your pain is just part of being a woman.