A common scene during my period: spending the day slumped over my keyboard, hand on my belly like a gremlin with the tummy bug. Like most menstruating uterus-owners, period pain is just part and parcel of my usual cycle—it’s pretty common, according to experts.
Some discomfort during that time of the month is normal, Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, physical therapist and author of Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve, tells SELF. When you menstruate, your body is registering that you’re not pregnant and shedding the “old” uterine lining (a.k.a the endometrium), she explains. To speed the process along, your muscles contract, which compresses the surrounding nerves. “This creates pressure inside the uterus, which helps to push out the lining and the menstrual blood,” Dr. Jeffcoat says. These contractions can create an uncomfy cramping sensation for the menstruator, she adds.
Normal or not: In my experience, even mild period cramps are about as fun as seeing an engagement post from my ex or getting a Friday afternoon 9-1-1 from my boss. Meaning, not at all. Thankfully, a few months ago I discovered DeoDoc’s Menstrual Heating Patches ($20, deodoc.com), which have become my go-to method for cramp relief.
The design
These single-use patches fit discreetly under your clothes and provide a soothing, warming sensation to ease period cramps in your abdomen or lower back (where some people also tend to feel pain). Heat brings blood flow to the area, which helps the muscles below relax and relieves the pressure on nearby nerves, Dr. Jeffcoat says. “Heat can also temporarily block pain receptors,” board-certified obstetrician gynecologist and DeoDoc cofounder Gunvor Ekman Ordeberg, OB/GYN, tells SELF, which researchers have confirmed.
Shaped to perfectly cover your lower abdomen or back, with adhesive on one side, DeoDoc’s Patches offer hands-free relief—unlike other period products, like hot water bottles, plug-in pads, or microwavable wraps that need to be held in place. Once attached to your lower abdomen, they stay warm all day long. The brand says that one patch can last up to 10 hours, but in my experience, it delivers heat for closer to 12. Impressive!
DeoDoc isn’t the first brand to take on disposable menstrual heating patches: ThermaCare, Midol, and Cora all make similar products. But what sets DeoDoc’s version apart is its shape and longevity. Midol’s product is heart-shaped, while Thermacare and Cora’s options resemble a kidney bean—however, DeoDoc actually looks like your anatomy. I’ve found that the unique design is better at providing heat exactly where it’s needed. Another plus? DeoDoc’s patches last around four hours longer than these alternatives do.
Their handy design and ability to deliver heat all day long is actually why I choose to invest in DeoDoc’s Menstrual Heating Patches over less expensive alternatives. A five-pack of these patches will put you out $20—each patch costs $4. Alternative options from competitors usually cost $2 to $3 a pop. But the way I see it, I’d have to use two of those other patches to get the same 12 hours of heat I get from just one DeoDoc patch. So, while the higher price is worth noting, I’m happy to pay the extra buck or two per patch, given that DeoDoc’s last longer and are shaped in a way that makes them more effective (in my experience).