Discreet Wearable Relieves Period Cramps By Blocking Pain Receptors
For many, period cramps are an endless hell loop that keeps returning every month. Some women are bed-bound by the discomfort, which also cripples their productivity at work. As a relief, medical experts are developing devices to ease the pain such that it doesn’t hinder their day-to-day life.
Recently featured on Dezeen, ‘Myoovi’ is a tiny wearable that is attached to the skin and sends out small electrical pulses to impede the pain receptors. That the gadget is compact and discreet makes it great for on-the-go alleviation.
The technology that emits these pulses is called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and it’s often administered during childbirth. Like existing equipment, Myoovi is placed on the skin over the source of the pain, and its pulses either reduce or completely hinder the pain signals entering the brain and spinal cord, making the user feel less of the discomfort. Only, Myoovi is much smaller and, therefore, made to be viewed as an accessory rather than a last resort.
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Adam Hamdi, the British doctor who invented Myoovi and a former general practitioner for the National Health Service (NHS), says the idea for the disk-shaped electrical pad stemmed from his observation of how over-the-counter treatments weren’t effective for everyone. At the same time, he saw that the “bulky and wire-filled” nature of TENS machines often deterred people from wearing them.
Thus sparked Hamdi’s mission to design a TENS object that wasn’t just great for everyday relief but also ultralight, wireless, and discreet. “You’ll forget you’re wearing it,” touts the Myoovi website.
The portable gadget is available in a trio of skin tones, and it’s built with three control buttons to toggle the strength or pattern of the pulses. Hamdi describes that using a Myoovi feels like a pulsing massage, with a tingling sensation that comes from the electrical treatment.
The device has a USB-chargeable battery that can run for up to 10 hours on a single charge. Importantly, it’s also available in a kit with two wide hydrogel butterfly pads for “maximum skin contact” and “maximum pain relief.” The attachments are good for up to two months, or until they lose their stickiness, and are applied to the target area like an adhesive bandage.
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Myoovi was launched back in 2021. Even more recently, and in the same vein, a Hungarian startup called Alpha Femtech has designed a period pain-relieving bodysuit powered by TENS technology as well. The wearable invention will be available for purchase in the UK and the EU later this year.
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The garment, called ‘Artemis’, is constructed from merino wool and high-quality bio ceramic yarn to create an additional natural heating element that’s also said to relieve menstrual cramps. The bodysuit is washable and can even be connected to a smartphone app to monitor the wearer’s period cycle and pain.
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Until menstrual leave becomes more widespread, it’s great to have options that prevent period pain from cramping our style.
