The subject remains taboo, yet painful periods affect nearly one in two women in France according to the latest figures from IFOP. Cramps are generally felt in the lower abdomen, but can also extend to the lower back and thighs.
Although they only last for a few days, menstrual pain often has a real impact on women's daily lives. Working with painful periods and maintaining a prolonged seated posture at the office then becomes a real ordeal.
Why does sitting in a standard office chair create discomfort? What concrete solutions can be implemented to relieve period pain at work? We explain everything.
Why does the standard 90° seated position intensify menstrual cramps?
The seated position exerts pressure on the uterus
When sitting in a standard office chair, the back is straight and the body folds at a 90° angle.
Maintained for a long time, the seated position exerts significant pressure on the uterus and pelvic floor muscles, which are already sensitive during periods of inflammation.
The weight of the body presses on the pelvis, as well as on the spinal discs, which can extend discomfort from the lower abdomen to the lower back.
In addition to pelvic compression, immobility at the office causes the pelvis to lock, along with a blockage of the uterine ligaments, which only worsens period pain.
Menstrual cramps and back pain: a vicious circle
For some women, periods are accompanied by back pain. Hormonal changes, uterine contractions, and inflammation sometimes cause back tension in addition to menstrual pain.
However, according to a recent study, other factors such as posture and prolonged immobility at one's workstation can intensify cramps.
To stay upright in an office chair, the abdominal and back muscles are constantly engaged, until they are exhausted by the end of the day. The mechanical overload of the lumbar vertebrae eventually creates painful tension.
Sedentary lifestyle and lack of mobility slow down pelvic blood circulation
Remaining seated for long hours at your workstation without moving slows down blood circulation.
The risk of venous stasis in the pelvic area is therefore very real in the case of a sedentary lifestyle. However, blood that stagnates in the pelvis accentuates the tension felt in the lower abdomen during menstruation.
How to relieve pain at the office?
The golden rules of posture and movement at work
Do not wait for tension to appear before reacting.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of breaking the sedentary lifestyle at the office and moving to relieve menstrual cramps.
Taking regular active breaks helps engage muscles, unlock the pelvis, and restart blood circulation. A few minutes are enough to release pelvic tension.
Getting up, walking, taking the stairs, and stretching are daily habits to adopt. Among the simple exercises to perform, pelvic tilts and stretches for the spine should be favored. They relieve both the abdominal and lower back areas, which are already under tension due to periods and prolonged sitting.
Adjusting your seat is also important in order to vary positions to avoid stiffness.
Natural portable solutions to keep in your office drawer
In an emergency and for temporary relief, scientific studies show that heat can work wonders on period pain.
Keeping a hot water bottle, heating patches, or a thermal lumbar belt in your office drawer is always useful. Heat targeted at the painful pelvic area helps to relax the uterine muscle and lower back.
You can also take advantage of your break to perform light self-massages on the lower abdomen and lower back. Essential oils of tarragon, lavender, or clary sage are particularly popular during menstruation for their antispasmodic and soothing properties.
Workstation layout and QWL approach
The design of an ergonomic workstation plays a major role in daily comfort. Positioning the screen at eye level and adjusting the seat and desk height are also decisive for postural comfort.
Installing active furniture in the office encourages pelvic mobility during painful periods. Whether it is a sit-stand desk, a ball chair, or an ergonomic stool, the key is to vary your positions.
Article L. 4121-1 of the Labor Code stipulates that the employer must do everything possible to preserve the physical and mental health of its employees.
If menstrual pain has a real impact on your daily life at the office, you can therefore involve occupational health services (article L. 4624-3 of the Labor Code) to request adjustments to your workstation and work schedule.
These adaptations can be covered by the Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie).
Movement as a natural uterine massage to break the vicious circle
Why staying still at the office makes period pain worse?
Even if the desire to remain still in a curled-up position is tempting during painful periods, a sedentary lifestyle at the office does not improve comfort.
On the contrary, the lack of movement increases the risk of blood congestion. And venous stasis during periods worsens menstrual pain.
Admittedly, the need for rest and slowing down during painful menstruation is understandable, but movement can also help relieve cramps.
Gentle mobility stimulates blood circulation and releases endorphins. This "feel-good" hormone plays a major role in pain management.
Pelvic mobility to unlock uterine ligaments and release muscle tension
Releasing the tension linked to painful periods and a static seated position is essential during working hours.
Sitting at the office, you can definitely perform pelvic tilt movements to vary contact points and release the pelvic pressure caused by your posture.
Pelvic mobility generates an internal massage that unlocks joints and releases ligaments held in a fixed position.
The Bloon ball chair for the office: the ergonomic answer to painful periods at work
Opening the hip-trunk angle (> 110°) to relieve the uterus
When sitting on a standard office chair, the body (the trunk and legs) forms a right angle (about 90°). If you sit with your back hunched forward, the hip-trunk angle closes even further.
However, this position creates an overload on the pelvic area that only accentuates tension, especially during painful periods.
The Bloon Active Sitting™ is an effective solution for correcting posture at work.
The benefits of the ball chair are multiple, as it promotes:
- The natural alignment of the spine and therefore straightening the back and adopting a better posture
- Opening of the hips
- Better distribution of body weight
- Muscle strengthening
- Activation of blood circulation
- Concentration
Ultimately, straightening your posture reduces the pressure exerted on the abdominopelvic area and also decompresses the lower back.
Dynamic seating and continuous micro-movements against venous stasis and muscle fatigue
Bouncing slightly on the ball, tilting the pelvis from side to side or back and forth, changing your supporting leg... These permanent micro-movements have a positive effect on blood circulation: they stimulate it.
Without conscious effort, you activate blood flow through this regular change of position, especially in the pelvic area. This constant mobility prevents congestion and relieves cramps.
Without even realizing it, while sitting on a ball, you move your legs, pelvis, and trunk more.
Moreover, the deep muscles of the abdominal wall are engaged to adjust balance and align posture. This passive core engagement provided by dynamic seating helps release tension accumulated in the lower abdomen and lumbar region.
3 mobility exercises on a ball chair to perform at the office
How can you integrate more movement into your daily work life to relieve your period pain? Here are some small exercises to do discreetly at the office.
Pelvic circles to relax the uterine area
Sitting on your Bloon ball chair, feet flat on the floor, back straight, gently rotate your pelvis in one direction, then the other.
The goal is not to make large movements, but to mobilize the pelvis to release pressure and unlock joints.
Anterior/posterior tilt to relieve the lower back
Another exercise to do discreetly at the office is tilting the pelvis back and forth. On the ball chair, sit up straight and keep your feet flat on the floor. Perform a first movement of the pelvis forward (anterior tilt), then another backward (posterior tilt).
These tilts are particularly effective for relieving the lumbosacral junction.
The infinity (eight) to decongest pelvic blood flow
Decongesting the pelvic area is essential to relieve tension.
Sitting on your ball chair, perform movements as if you wanted to form horizontal 8s with your pelvis. In this way, support alternates from right to left and front to back.
This fluidity exercise helps to restart blood circulation throughout the entire pelvis.
Conclusion
Painful periods can have a real impact on women's daily lives, especially at work. To relieve cramps, natural solutions exist.
Occasionally, sources of heat and self-massages can relax the painful area.
Otherwise, mobility is a real remedy for countering menstrual pain. By staying mobile, you activate blood circulation and avoid congestion, but you also release the pressure experienced by the lumbopelvic area.
Taking active breaks, arranging your workstation with a sit-stand desk, and using a Bloon ball chair, for example, contribute to improving comfort, even during menstruation.