By Emma Wright

When I first read the reviews for Ovira, I cried. I live with debilitating pain due to my menstrual cycles, and it's difficult for me to imagine life without this pain. I've become afraid of disappointment after a variety of failed attempts at relief -- everything from birth control to painkillers to surgery. After months of ignoring the targeted Instagram ads for the latest period relief product, I hit "swipe up" on my phone and began to explore the Aussie-based company's website. I scrolled through photos of untouched, stoic-looking models wearing the product on their abdomens, the "female-powered" tags, and various seals of approval with moderate skepticism before landing on the reviews. 

I found over 150 5-star reviews from people with periods, all pouring out their love for Ovira. Ovira is a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit that delivers small electric pulses to the affected area, claiming that it stops pain signals from being transmitted to the brain and indicates muscles to relax. The people who wrote reviews were just like me: they can't walk or hold a conversation when they experience a cycle, they regularly miss work and social opportunities because of the debilitating pain that tags along, they can't take pain medication for health reasons, they have tried the birth control pill and other hormonal drugs without relief, and those people, like me, are at the end of their rope in pain every 26-30 days. I read the reviews, and  just cried because I couldn't believe that a singular product would yield such incredible, tangible results. I was hopeful, but still afraid of being let down by yet another promised solution for my pain. 

A week later, in a neat, coral pink package, Ovira made its way to my house under my boyfriend's name (bless him for ordering it for me). He told me the least I could do was utilize the 100-day trial and see what it could do for my period pains from endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic condition that occurs when the lining that builds up inside the uterus (and subsequently sheds itself in what we refer to as a "period") begins to grow outside the uterus. Those endometriosis "lesions" know no bounds, and although they typically develop within the abdominal cavity, they have been found as far north in the body as the lungs and brain. The lesions are malicious in more ways than one; in addition to growing in the wrong places, they can adhere organ tissues together, suffocate follicular tubes, and bleed. 

It is estimated that 1 in 10 people who menstruate have endometriosis, and it takes an average of 6-10 years to get diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. While pain is the most common symptom, other symptoms include menstrual irregularities, brain fog and body fatigue, painful bowel movements, discomfort with sex, and infertility. While it has no cure, birth control or excision surgery are considered the "gold standards" of treatment. These interventions can slow the growth of lesions and remove existing ones, but they cannot stop the disease from progressing. Enter: the (seemingly) endless search for pain relief.

I truly wasn't prepared for my first day using Ovira. Like any other day starting my period, I waddled to my kitchen to find a bottle of Advil and my painkillers, frantically plugged in my heat pad, and clutched it to my abdomen, waiting for the worst of the pain to hit me. I had my Ovira charging on my nightstand in anticipation. I placed it on my stomach, turned on the battery pack, and within 20 minutes… I was pain-free. I got up, I made coffee, and I played with my dog in our backyard. This was groundbreaking for me. I was hesitant to overdo my movements because even the simplest actions can cause hours of pain, but I quickly found that I didn't have anything to worry about. I was just living my life. There were a few strings (wires) attached, but I still can't accurately put into words how amazed I am at the level of pain relief that this device granted me. I am equally surprised, impressed, and relieved.

My device lasted about 7 hours. When the battery died, and I took it off to charge, I was worried that the pain would return quickly, just like it does as soon as the heat pad is removed or the Advil wears off. But even without my Ovira on, I went another two hours without needing any pain intervention. This is my miracle device. Although it didn't take away my secondary symptoms of menstrual pain like body fatigue and brain fog, it allowed me to live my life in the most typical way possible on a day that would ordinarily leave me bedridden. Coming off of this experience is almost like coming off of a high - did this really happen? It did, and now I have something tangible that gives me my life back. Ovira is the option I wish existed when I was 15 and struggling with pain for the first time, being told that my period pain was "normal." Today I am proud of every person who experiences menstrual pain, and I want each of you to know: your pain is valid, relief exists, and you are not alone.

Emma is a culture writer for La Tonique.