Menstruation

Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)

By even the most conservative definitions, well over 40% of women everywhere suffer from painful abdominal cramping before and during their menstrual periods. Some women are bedridden by their period pain, frequently missing work and other obligations. Reports may vary on how data are collected on this, or which populations are surveyed, but there’s little doubt that women’s discomfort with their periods is a fairly global experience.

This leads us to wonder why, in the past, so many doctors dismissed menstrual cramps as a myth. As more about the physiology of PMS has been revealed, we now understand that dysmenorrhea is a real condition, that there are genuine physiological causes for menstrual cramps.

The good news is that, provided you have no serious underlying health conditions, you can alleviate menstrual cramping if you give your body the right support. Even deeply entrenched cases of cramping that cannot be resolved entirely can improve considerably with positive changes in lifestyle and nutrition that encourage hormonal balance.

Primary dysmenorrhea is cramping abdominal pain that lasts upwards of several days during your monthly blood flow. It can be accompanied by a number of related symptoms, including bloating, nausea, vomiting, headache, backaches, pain that radiates down the thighs, or diarrhea, and is caused by excess prostaglandin levels. Prostaglandins are hormone–like fatty acids that send pain signals to the brain. The additional prostaglandins cause small contractions of the uterine wall and the gastrointestinal symptoms that accompany dysmenorrhea.

This kind of spasmodic menstrual cramp is most common in younger women and often resolves itself with age. Many women report their menstrual cramping dissipates after their first pregnancy.

Take note that sometimes a benign ovarian cyst or ectopic pregnancy can cause acute pelvic pain toward the end of your cycle. If you are experiencing tenderness and sharp pain that does not subside with with the onset of your menstrual flow, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is characterized by a kind of congested, dull pain that begins up to two weeks before the start of your flow. This kind of cramping is more common in women in their 30’s and 40’s and usually does not get better with age. It can be accompanied by bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, headaches, lower back pain, and irritability.

Symptoms may be exacerbated by fluctuating estrogen levels, which in turn cause fluid retention. Chinese doctors view this kind of painful period as a form of blood stasis, in which vital energy is unable to flow freely through the lower abdomen. Underlying causes of this kind of pain other than hormonal imbalance can include:

• Endometriosis (ectopic endometrial tissue)
• Adenomyosis (endometrial tissue within uterine wall)
• Pelvic infection
• Intrauterine device (IUD)
• Cervical stenosis (stricture of the internal cervical os, the opening to the uterus)
• Congenital uterine or vaginal abnormalities
• Fibroids

Obesity, cigarette smoking, chronic pelvic infections and/or STD’s are common risk factors for secondary dysmenorrhea. If you have persistent menstrual cramping that remains the same or worsens over a few months, please schedule a check-up with your healthcare practitioner to rule out any of the above.

If none of the above conditions are present, you may be able to find natural menstrual cramp relief. We’ve had great success treating our patients’ painful cramping with medical-grade nutritional supplements, exercise and — in many cases — progesterone support. When hormonal balance is restored and there are no extenuating factors, menstrual cramps usually lessen and often subside completely.

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References & further reading on dysmenorrhea

 

Original Publication Date: 08/24/2005
Last Modified: 02/16/2010