Menstrual cramps are a common problem among women which can normally begin on the onset of their menstruation. This is also known as dysmennorhea and can affect half of the female population especially during teenage and adulthood.

During the first or second day of menstruation, the uterine muscles contract and clotted blood passes through the cervix causing pain in the lower abdomen. Menstrual cramps may also be accompanied by backache, pinching sensations in their inner thighs, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, faintness, dizziness, fatigue, and headaches.

The pain can be tolerable to others and severe for some that their movements and normal activities are affected.  Cramping during menstruation is one cause of absenteeism among female students and employees. For mild menstrual cramps, bed rest for a day and pain reliever helps abate the pain. Painful abdominal pain, however, should not be taken for granted. It can be a sign of a more serious health problem.

There are two types of menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea. Understanding which type of dysmenorrhea you are suffering from will also lead to proper treatment.

Primary Dysmenorrhea

This type of menstrual cramps occur one or two days before your menstrual period but can last for at least two days or four days if you have longer menstrual cycle. The cramping is on the lower belly area and lower back that tends to be recurrent. The pain is not due to problems with the pelvic organs or uterus but because of an elevated level of prostaglandin activities in the uterus. Many women noticed that the pain become less intense as they grow older or after they have delivered a child or children.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea

Lower back pain accompanying your menstrual period may be an indication of serious medical disorder like endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease. Benign tumors called uterine fibroids can develop in the womb causing menstrual cramps. Using copper intrauterine device (IUD) can cause abdominal pain as well as infection from high risk sexual activities. Even stress and anxiety can also cause menstrual cramps.

Treatment for primary dysmenorrhea can be over-the-counter medications that contain ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. These types of pain reliever are “anti-prostaglandins” and can ease pain in as short as 30 minutes. Oral contraceptives are also used to cure menstrual cramps since this condition may also indicate hormonal imbalance.

Secondary dysmenorrhea can be treated depending on the cause of menstrual cramps. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives are also being given. Medroxyporgesterone acetate like DepoProvera is prescribed and surgery is necessary for cases of endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids.

Do you experience cramping before period? A lady or a woman’s life is almost faultless except on days before her menstrual cycle. Cramping before period is annoying and distressing .

Cramps before menstruation is also called dysmenorrhea. This is normal to some women. The pain can be mild to extremely painful. It can interfere with her regular activities; sometimes she needs to miss school or work at least for two days due to extreme pain and this makes her somewhat helpless. It is therefore important to understand this occurrence and ask your doctor about it.

Pain before the menstrual cycle is normally caused by uterine contractions. A woman undergoes ovulation two weeks before the menstrual cycle begins. No menstrual cramps should be experienced a week prior to menstruation. Cramping before period should normally occur two days before the cycle or during the period.

Cramping before period may be related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), an indication of an abdominal growth, a sign of ovulation or early detection of pregnancy. However if the pain persists and becomes extremely bothersome, then it can be caused by some uterine or ovarian abnormalities.

Women start to feel cramps before menstruation during the onset of menarche during their teens. This means that a lot of teenagers suffer from intolerable premenstrual cramps and simply consider this as a normal part of womanhood. What mothers and other family members disregard before has become an important concern for doctors. Doctors usually prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSADs) like ibuprofen or naproxen for pain related to menstruation (primary dysmenorrheal). Most pain reliever contain acetaminophen that can harm the liver. However an article published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews reported that traditional Chinese medicines can help relieve painful cramping before period. A naturopathic doctor, Dr. Daniel Heller, uses natural herbal cure for premenstrual cramps. He founded the PMS Comfort and a Research Fellow for the Optimal Health Foundation in California.

Because some cramping before period may indicate an underlying serious problem related to the reproductive organ, doctors encourage women to speak about their pain so that early detection and the right treatment can be given.