The heating pad is certainly what I would recommend. Plus, the lax tea also can give you some cramping so it all joins together for a couple of fun days. On day 2, I couldn't figure out if my cramps were period-related or lax tea related so...but I got through it really well. Took a couple of nice hot baths too and that relieved the back ache. Actually, this is probably the least discomfort I've experienced with my period in months and I can only assume that it's related to the Master-Cleanse since I didn't take my usual Aleve right before and during my period. Good luck!