This Device Claims To "Switch Off" Period Pain – I Put It To The Test, And Here's What Happened

A portable machine that's scientifically proven to work? Don't mind if I do.

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I'm Hanifah, and I have terrrrrible period pain.

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I have endometriosis, a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body.

In the UK, it's thought to affect one in 10 people who have uteruses, and despite often causing debilitating pain, can take years to be formally diagnosed (seven and half years on average).

When it comes to pain, I've tried everything I can get my hands on, but when my womb declares war, I'm pretty much bed-bound.

Fox

Heat pads, painkillers, hot water bottles – since you're reading this, I'm guessing you've also tried your fair share of things that claim to help combat that time of the month pain, to varying levels of success.

So, enter Livia – the device that claims to "switch off" period pain through the power of electric pulses.

Livia / Amazon / Via shrsl.com

According to their site, the device works in three easy steps – you attach the gel pads to where it hurts, clip the device onto your waistband, turn it on, et voilà – pain no more! The Livia kit is £199.00 (although it's on sale for £79.99 at the moment), and with a price like that, I can't help but have some high expectations.

So how does it work, I hear you ask.

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The Livia transmits a pulse that stimulates the nerves. Because the nerves are "busy" it stops pain signals from reaching the brain and being felt. It's essentially an aesthetically pleasing TENS machine specifically designed for menstrual pain.

According to the site, it only takes 60 seconds for it to get working, and is scientifically proven to work.

First impressions:

Hanifah Rahman / BuzzFeed

I knew the device was portable, but I didn't expect it to be quite so tiny – it's about the size of an Airpods case, but is a little bit lighter. If I saw someone with it clipped to their waistband, I'd probably think it was some kind of retro mp3 player or a fitness device – nothing like any of the TENS machines I've seen in my time. It looked really nice, but if I'm totally honest, at this point I was kinda sceptical that something so tiny would be able to tackle my pain.

The kit comes with the Livia device, a silicone cover (mine's lilac, but you can pick from a range of colours), flower pads, a USB charging cable, a travel case, and three month supply of gel pads.

The set up:

Hanifah Rahman / BuzzFeed

If I'm totally honest I was pretty intimidated at first, mainly because the wires make it look a bit technical (and for the purpose of testing, I hadn't taken any strong painkillers, so wasn't feeling too great). But it was SO easy to set up – once it was fully charged all I had to do was plug in the wire, peel off the plastic that covered the sticky gel pads, and pop them onto my stomach.

I did have a little bit of fiasco with the gel pads – they were way stickier than I'd anticipated and I somehow managed to get them stuck to my fingertips... But once I pried them off and put them in place, they were on. I clipped the device onto the waistband of my leggings and I was ready to go.

Livia in action:

Hanifah Rahman / BuzzFeed

When I switched it on I felt nothing at first. The instructions told me to press the "+" button until I felt a "pleasant sensation." I didn't really know what to expect from that, but after pressing it about four times, I felt a pins and needles-esque tingling on my lower abdomen. I don't know if I would go as far as calling it "pleasant," but it definitely wasn't bad.

After about 15 minutes I realised that while I'd been focusing on the strange current going through my uterus, the cramping had kind of faded into the background. On days like this, my go-to's are strong painkillers, hot baths, and basically surgically attaching myself to my long hot water bottle – not the most practical combination. Don't get me wrong, the pain wasn't 100% gone (those random painful spasms seemed determined to persevere), but I could actually manage to remove myself from the fetal position and walk around the house. Wearing a t-shirt over leggings, no one could tell that I had it on, and the gel pads were secure, so I didn't have to worry about them slipping off or anything. The only time it was a little awkward was when I went to the bathroom – I accidentally disconnected the device from the wires as I pulled my pants down (lol) but it got right back to work when I plugged it in again.

It dulled the pain in my front (right where the gel pads were), but for some reason, that seemed to make me really aware of the cramping feeling in my lower back. So I switched the flower gel pads to the area on my back that was hurting the most and turned the intensity way up – this was when I noticed a definite improvement. I'd say my pain went from a 7/10 to about a four.

In the evening, I ended up throwing in a few of my usuals into the mix – I took a painkiller and while the Livia was sending the electric current through my back I put my hot water bottle on my front. This was a total game-changer – I wouldn't go as far as saying I was totally pain-free, but I was way more comfortable than I'd usually be.

My verdict:

Hanifah Rahman / BuzzFeed

So, Livia didn't "switch off" my pain completely, but it definitely worked when it came to easing the pain. While I still had to take painkillers, I didn't have to take as many as usual, and I managed to relax a lot more than I usually can during this time.

I found it much more effective when the pads were stuck on my back than my front, but I kind of wish that it came with four gel pads instead of two. The manual does say that two devices can be used simultaneously, but at the price point, I feel like that may not the most practical option.

My favourite thing about the Livia is how tiny and unobtrusive it is. Once it was on I didn't have to think about it, and I really liked not having to lug my hot water bottle every time I got up. In a post-lockdown world, I can see myself using the Livia on days when I have moderate pain but have to leave the house – it isn't bulky at all, and no one would be able to notice it hidden on my waistband under my top.

While the Livia may not be 100% effective at stopping intense cramps, I think it works really well alongside all the typical things we use to combat pain, and unlike most of those things, it doesn't have any side effects.

The Livia kit is currently 60% off at £79.99, and has a 60-day money back guarantee.

Livia is FDA and CE approved, which means it's met safety standards in both the USA and Europe. You can get it here.