A 2001 study of heat therapy for dysmenorrhea found continuous low-level topical heat to be as effective as ibuprofen in decreasing PD symptoms. Moreover, the topical heat treatment used had an ... “Dysmenorrhea” is the medical term for painful periods (menstruation) or menstrual cramps.

Understanding the Context

In addition to cramping, you might have other symptoms, such as nausea, fatigue and diarrhea. It’s most common to have menstrual cramps the day before or the day you start your period. For most people, symptoms subside after about two or three days. It's common to have some pain with your menstrual periods.

Key Insights

In some cases, the pain is severe and comes with other symptoms. Dysmenorrhoea is painful cramping, usually in the lower abdomen, which occurs shortly before and/or during menstruation. There are two types of dysmenorrhoea: primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhoea occurs in the absence of any identifiable underlying pelvic pathology. Headache, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, lower back pain, and urinary frequency are commonly associated with dysmenorrhea; vomiting occurs occasionally.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes dysmenorrhea is accompanied by symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or heavy menstrual bleeding and passage of blood clots. Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea) are common in teenagers and young adults. Periods tend to become less painful as you get older. Written by a GP. Secondary dysmenorrhea is the medical term for period pain that occurs as a result of an underlying condition affecting the reproductive organs. Secondary dysmenorrhea may cause additional symptoms ...

Among university students, primary dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent, and its symptoms significantly interfere with academic performance, concludes a study by investigators from the Institute of Health ...