Causes And Cures For Menstrual Pain

Menstrual pain refers to abdominal pain which precedes or occurs during a woman menstrual period. It is sometimes referred to as menstrual cramps and usually occurs anytime from just after ovulation to the end of menstruation. Menstrual pain is mostly located in the region of the lower abdomen either centrally (suprapubic or umbilical) or on the sides and may radiate to the thighs or lower back. The pain, however, tends to subside as the menstrual flow gradually comes to an end.

In the early part of the menstrual cycle a woman body gradually prepares itself for hosting a pregnancy by causing a thickening of the inner lining of the womb. After ovulation, if conception does not occur, this built-up inner lining of the womb is shed and removed from the body through menstruation. During this process the broken-down tissue of the inner lining release several chemical compounds, including prostaglandins, which cause the muscular wall of the womb to contract and this contraction helps to expel the shed tissue from the womb through the vagina in form of menstrual flow. However, this contraction also tends to constrict the blood vessels of the womb, hence reducing the oxygen supply to the womb, and this results in the cramp-like pain felt during menstruation. This process happens in every woman who menstruates, hence many women usually experience some degree of pain during their menstrual periods and this is not necessarily abnormal. The good news is that menstrual pain tends to reduce with increasing age and also with increasing number of children, i.e. the older you get and the more children you have, the less the menstrual pain becomes. However, when menstrual pain becomes excessive and incapacitating, or interferes with a woman daily activities, then it becomes abnormal and is medically referred to as dysmenorrhea. Other symptoms which could be associated with dysmenorrhea include nausea, vomiting, change in bowel habit (diarrhea or constipation), headache, dizziness, disorientation, fainting, fatigue, and hypersensitivity to sound, light, smell and touch.

Now, dysmenorrhea (abnormally excessive menstrual pain) can be classified into 2 types, primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. The primary type refers to dysmenorrhea with no known cause (i.e. a physical or psychogenic cause cannot be found for the pain). The secondary type, however, can be caused by several medical conditions including, but not limited to, the following:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STD Contraceptive Device (IUCD) made of copper
• Ovarian cysts
• Endometriosis
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Stress and anxiety

Treatment of dysmenorrhea involves both pain management and specific therapies for any known cause.

Pain management includes:

1. Drug therapy - the following types of drugs are known to be effective against menstrual pain
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID like ibuprofen, piroxicam, diclofenac, etc.
3. Other prescription pain relievers (including narcotic drugs), such as pentazocine, tramadol, codeine, etc.
4. Hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills)
5. Non-drug therapy - the following non-drug home remedies have been reported to relieve or at least reduce menstrual pain in some women:
6. drinking warm beverages
7. taking warm showers or baths
8. applying a heating pad over the lower abdomen, below the belly button
9. doing light circular massage with the finger tips over the lower abdomen
10. avoiding heavy meals (eating light but frequent)
11. increasing intake of dietary fibres (taking more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc) and reducing intake of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine (coffee).
12. keeping the legs elevated while lying down or lying on ones side with the knees bent
13. practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga
14. doing regular exercises, including pelvic rocking exercises
15. controlling ones weight (losing weight if overweight)

Cause-specific therapies include all treatments aimed at resolving any of the causes of secondary dysmenorrhea such as

1. Antibiotics, for instance in treatment of PID and STD e.g. for fibroids, ovarian cysts, etc
2. Hormonal therapy, e.g. in treating endometriosis
3. Anti-depressants, e.g. in the management of PMS
4. Nutritional supplements, e.g. thiamine (vitamin B1), magnesium, vitamin E, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, etc, have been shown to relieve or reduce menstrual pain, especially in primary dysmenorrhea. Thiamine, in particular, has been shown to provide a CURE, rather than mere pain suppression, in many women with primary dysmenorrhea.