15 Sep 2026

Superdrug Online Doctor – condition pages and medication advice – website copy

Period Pain

Period pain – also known as menstrual pain or menstrual cramps, affects many women before, during and after their period. Some women find them uncomfortable but carry on as usual (often with the help of over the counter painkillers) but other women can find that the pain of menstrual cramps severely affects their ability to carry out normal activities. Here, we take a closer look at what causes period pain and how you can relieve it.

What causes period pain?

When you are having your period, your uterus (womb) sheds the lining it has prepared ready for conception. Substances called prostaglandins trigger contractions in the uterus to help it expel the lining. Severe period pains are usually caused by higher levels of prostaglandins. One in five women suffers from dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, to the point where they can interfere with her life, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. In 2016, Professor John Guillebaud, an expert from the University College London, said that in some women, menstrual cramping can feel “as bad as having a heart attack.”
Period pain can be:
• A cramping or throbbing in your lower abdomen.
• Intense painful spasms.
• A dull ache.
• Pain in your back and thighs.

Some women can also feel sick, suffer from diarrhoea and/or headaches. The symptoms may also vary from cycle to cycle.

Conditions that may make period pain worse

Although for many women some period pain is normal, there are some medical conditions which may cause severe pain. These include:
• Endometriosis: where the lining of the uterus starts to implant in places other than your uterus, usually your ovaries, fallopian tubes or pelvic lining.
• Uterine fibroids: these are non-cancerous growths in the wall of the uterus.
• Adenomyosis: a condition in which the lining of the uterus starts to grow into the muscles of the uterus wall.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): a sexually transmitted infection.
• Cervical stenosis: A condition where the cervical opening is too small to allow menstrual flow to escape properly, causing a painful build-up of pressure in the uterus.

How long should period pain last?

In most women, period pain usually starts at the same time as their bleeding, but it can start several days beforehand. It should only last for up to 72 hours, although in some cases severe period pain can last for longer. The pain is usually at its worst when the bleeding is at its heaviest.

The good news is that period pains tend to lessen as women get older, and some women also say that their period pain improves after they have had children.

Which painkillers are good for period pain?

Depending on how severe your period pain is, there are various ways that you can treat/relieve the symptoms. Doctors will often recommend over the counter painkillers containing ibuprofen or aspirin, but if these haven’t worked for you, your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative like naproxen or mefenamic acid.
If NSAID drugs aren’t suitable for you because of asthma, stomach, kidney or liver problems, ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice for an alternative. You should also avoid NSAIDs if you are breastfeeding. Paracetamol is another option but studies have shown that it may not be as effective as ibuprofen and other NSAIDs in relieving period pain. You could also ask your doctor for painkillers containing codeine if you can’t get relief from over the counter medicines.

The Pill and period pain

Some women find that their period pain gets better or disappears while they are taking the combined contraceptive pill. This is because the hormones in the Pill thin the lining of the uterus, so your period is lighter, fewer prostaglandins are released and your uterus doesn’t have to contract so much to shed its lining. Contraceptive implants or injections are another option if the Pill doesn’t suit you.

Self-help for period pain

For mild period pain, and to avoid taking painkillers, there are things you can do to help relieve the cramping.

• Exercise – although this is probably the last thing you want to do, swapping lying on the sofa with a hot water bottle and a bar of chocolate for a gentle walk or swim can actually help to relieve mild period pain.
• Heat – a hot water bottle or a heat pad can be very soothing for period pain. You can buy self-heating pads designed for menstrual cramps in most chemists.
• Taking a warm bath or shower – a relaxing bath can help soothe the cramps and backaches as can a warm shower.
• Giving up smoking – smoking has been shown to make period pain worse, so if you’re a smoker, it makes sense to try and give up.

When should you see a doctor?

If you have only recently started menstruating (having periods) in the last few years, your body is probably still getting used to your cycles and all the hormonal changes involved, so it’s unlikely that period pains are anything to be concerned about.

You should make an appointment to see your doctor if your period pain begins to disrupt your day to day activities, if the pain is getting worse over time or if you’re over the age of 25 and have only just started to suffer from severe period pain.

15 Sep 2026

Blog posts for Suffolk Association of Local Councils

NSIPs can bring local benefits, but they can also cause disruption and concern for nearby communities. To help with this, many developers make community grants available, designed to benefit the economy, society and/or the local environment. We recognise that the process needs to be made as simple as possible, so that local and parish councils can work together effectively and make sure that residents’ voices are heard.

What community benefits funding is available for NSIPs?

There are a range of benefits grants available, depending on the type of project. Offered voluntarily by developers, these include cash payments that go towards community funds, investments in local amenities, support for education and skills, or even practical benefits like donating equipment or services that the community needs.

How to find NSIP community grants and funding opportunities

Anyone can find out more about grants and project-related funding by engaging with an NSIP consultations, and once finalised by the developer, the benefits should also be locally advertised and searchable online.

You can find a list of all of the current NSIPs in Suffolk here and the individual websites listed will have details of any funds that developers are making available for local communities.

Examples of some of the grants that are available for NSIPs in Suffolk:

Sizewell C Community Fund (£23m) which focuses on reducing the impacts of the Sizewell C construction.

Sizewell C Neighbourhood Fund (£10k) which is for projects that directly benefit people living within 10 miles of the Sizewell development site.

National Grid’s Bramford to Twinstead Community Fund is offering grants of up to £20,000 for communities along the project route and opened in May 2026.

A woman with grey hair wears dungarees, and standing behind tables set up with gardening items on the tops. Children and a couple of adults looking at the items. The setting looks like a large greenhouse.

Tips for making a strong NSIP funding application

Engage early with developers: the best time to influence community benefits is during the pre-application stage. This is the stage where the formal dialogue and exhibitions will happen, and where developers will be consulting the local community.

Use Local Impact Reports to support your case: find out if your district or county council has produced a Local Impact Report (LIR) for the project. This will help you find out about any expected impacts (like noise or traffic). As community benefits may be ai to mitigate these impacts, this information can strengthen your application.

Show how the project affects your community: the NSIP planning process aims to weigh local impacts against national needs. If you want to make a strong case for a grant, you will have to be very clear about how the project affects your community.

Using evidence to support your application: good applications are evidence‑led. You can reference data from SODA, alongside local evidence gathered through surveys and other consultation activities. This should describe the groups served, how services are delivered, and how the council understands local need.

A group of young girls are playing football – some wear red and white uniforms, the others wear black andwhite stripes.

Inclusion and balancing community needs: applicants should show how projects are inclusive and avoid unintentionally excluding certain groups. But where a scheme benefits one group more than another, for example a new playing field that mainly serves children and families rather than dog walkers, this should be acknowledged. The application should explain how impacts are balanced, such as by improving nearby walking routes, providing alternative spaces or delivering complementary initiatives.

Align with the funder’s objectives: clearly show how your proposed project aligns with the funder’s priorities. Explain why the proposal is a good strategic fit and demonstrate that all relevant policies and procedures are already in place. Developing a short council business plan can be helpful, even if informal, as it sets out ambitions, priorities and how the project supports longer‑term community goals.

Ask the local community: consult local people and ask them for their views. Use local knowledge to explain how the development could affect the area and the people who live there. This can also help shape your grant application.

Collaborate with neighbouring councils and organisations: small community organisations and parish councils can work together to draft a joint application. Applications from multiple parishes or charities are often more effective than competing or separate applications. Plus, you can share the workload, advise each other and pool helpful data.

Smal clumps of seagrass is blowing in the wind, on a low sand dune with the beach and sea in the background. The sky is blue.

Biodiversity Net Gain: NSIPs are required to deliver biodiversity net gain, so you can link this requirement to your desired local outcomes. This could include greener and more attractive public spaces, improved habitats, or opportunities for volunteering, learning and wellbeing. Demonstrating how environmental improvements directly benefit residents can significantly strengthen an application. Look at this case study about Saxmundham Town Council’s approach to mitigation for an NSIP (please note this example was not for a grant funding application).
Defining success: a strong application will clearly describe what success looks like and how it will be measured. Councils should explain how the project supports growth, resilience or wellbeing, and set out any match funding, including the use of Community Infrastructure Levy or Section 106 monies. Funders will also look for proposals that create opportunities for further development and deliver clear benefits to hard‑to‑reach groups, ensuring long‑term value for the community.

Get advice and support: councils and organisations in Suffolk can ask for advice on engaging with developers by contacting the SCC NSIP Team at NSIPs@suffolk.gov.uk. Or you can contact SALC via the Members Portal or email engagement@suffolk-alc.gov.uk.

15 Sep 2026

Research Communications for THIS Institute

Maternity care is uniquely complex because it involves at least two lives: the person in labour and the baby. Decision-making for clinicians and those in labour is highly challenging: situations initially assessed as low-risk may deteriorate, many things can change over the course of a labour, and both emergencies and the risks of over-intervention have to be managed.

https://www.thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/working-together-for-safer-maternity-care/

15 Sep 2026

Website copy for My FD: small business and contractor accounting specialists

Small business accounting service

A flexible accounting service for small businesses, whether you operate as a limited company, a sole trader or a partnership.
This one’s for you if you want to:

– Minimise the time you spend on financial admin
– Have real-time insight into your financial situation
– Get proactive advice on optimising the money you withdraw
– Be certain you’re complying with all accountancy and tax legislation

15 Sep 2026

Offshore wind guide for engineers

Guide to Offshore Wind Structures
Challenges and opportunities in designing and developing offshore wind structures both now and in the future

Introduction
As an industry we need to ramp up our efforts, fast. By 2030, it’s estimated there will be 238 GW of power being generated by Offshore Wind Farms (OWFs) around the world. This is short of the hoped-for 380 GW that the Global Offshore Wind Alliance set in 2022, and reaching 238 GW requires offshore wind capacity to almost triple in the next 4 years.
What is required of the industry in the subsequent 20 years is even more ambitious. The Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) of wind energy organisations has pledged to work towards deploying 2,000 GW of offshore wind capacity to help the world reach net-zero targets by 20504. As an industry, the pressure is on, and as engineers – working in design or project execution – we need to contribute to meeting the financial, technical and logistical challenges.

Fixed-bottom foundations
Typically, if you’re developing an offshore wind farm in 2026 and considering fixed-bottom foundations, you’re choosing between a monopile, jacket or gravity base structure. Options you may have considered 10 or 15 years ago – such as tripods and twisted jackets – have for the most part been discarded as being too expensive or too technically demanding. The conditions of the seabed (geotechnical conditions) play a critical role in determining what type of foundation is feasible, and its design parameters.

09 Sep 2026

LinkedIn profile makeover for Property Consultant

Ian McRae

Logistics & Industrial Property Advisor – Over 45 years of Specialist, Award Winning Expertise, advising Corporate Clients to acquire & make money from property. Compère, Audio Book Narrator and Voiceover Artist

09 Sep 2026

Web content for an HR Consultancy

In your organisation, do you find that your people are held back by a lack of self-awareness? Maybe individuals and teams don’t fully understand their own behaviour and response patterns. In the same way, perhaps they don’t understand each other.

This is where RPG will help. We’ll lead your people through the Insights Discovery™ personality profiling tool. We use Insight Discovery™ as a key ingredient to individual and/or team coaching, in relation to internal and external situations. We conduct the sessions either virtually or face-to-face, for groups or for individuals – whichever is best for you.

09 Sep 2026

Writing web content for an accountancy practice

Our focus is you

As Northamptonshire accountants, our clients cherish our relationship, not just because of our range of services. They also appreciate the way we work. They see us, not so much as accountants to meet with once a year to ‘go over’ the accounts. For our clients, they value the feeling of friendship.
Like any good friends, of course, we won’t just say ‘well done’ when everything is rosy. We’ll also be at your side with friendly, knowledgeable advice when things are not going so well.

08 Sep 2026

Website rewrite for Social Bite — a pioneering homelessness charity

It all started with a coffee shop.
Now, it’s a movement with a mission.

Social Bite began life in 2012 as a small coffee shop in Edinburgh. When Peter, a young man experiencing homelessness, came in to ask for a job, a bold new journey began. Now, with our amazing network of donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and partner businesses across the UK, we’re pushing for nothing less than an end to homelessness. One innovative idea at a time.

07 Sep 2026

Annual reports that demonstrate industry and investor relations leadership

MEPCO is the largest integrated containerboard producer in the Middle East and North Africa. It needed an annual report that did more than meet stock exchange compliance requirements – it needed to cement the company as a leader in investor relations. Gunning Marketing created a report that was a compelling story for investors, leading to an ongoing partnership for future annual reports and sales collateral.

05 Sep 2026

Restaurant copy for Kaana

Moreish meals
for fresh food lovers and flavour cravers
for subtle spice seekers and protein packers
for the turmeric tribe and the cauli crew
for mindful moment-ers and energy chasers
for green bean queens and chai guys
for peckish people and hungry humans
for curious souls and happy hearts
for you. Come on in…

05 Sep 2026

Website copy for Charlie Bigham’s

We love food. Proper food that’s full of flavour, made with real, fresh ingredients. And we really love making food for people who share that passion. For us, every step of creating a dish matters, from sourcing and cooking the best ingredients, to serving and enjoying a delicious meal with people who make us smile.