In this Article

• What are menstrual cramps?
• How common are menstrual cramps?
• What is dysmenorrhea?
• What causes menstrual cramps?
• Why are some cramps so painful?
• Can menstrual cramps be measured?
• What other factors influence menstrual cramps?
• What are the symptoms of menstrual cramps?
• How are menstrual cramps diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for common menstrual cramps (primary dysmenorrhea)?
• What if the cramps are very severe?
• Are there surgical solutions?
• What is the treatment of secondary dysmenorrhea?
• What is the long term outlook (prognosis) for menstrual cramps?
• Menstrual Cramps At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Menstrual Cramps - Effective Treatments
• Menstrual Cramps Glossary
• Menstrual Cramps Index

What is the long term outlook (prognosis) for menstrual cramps?

In general, a woman's menstrual cramps do not worsen during her lifetime. In fact, the menstrual cramps of primary dysmenorrhea usually diminish with age and after pregnancy. This is thought to be due to the fact that the nerves of the uterus degenerate with age and disappear late in pregnancy, with only a portion of these nerves regenerating after childbirth.

When there is secondary dysmenorrhea with an underlying condition contributing to the pain, the prognosis depends on the successful treatment of that condition.

As women have learned more about their bodies and how to maintain them in maximum health, menstrual cramps have become less of a debilitating illness, and more often, merely a minor monthly inconvenience.

Menstrual Cramps At A Glance

• Menstrual cramps are periodic abdominal and pelvic pains experienced by women.
  
  
• More than half of all menstruating women have cramps.
  
  
• The cramps are severe in at least one in seven of these women.
  
  
• Medically, menstrual cramps are called dysmenorrhea.
  
  
• Primary dysmenorrhea is common menstrual cramps without an identifiable cause.
  
  
• Secondary dysmenorrhea results from an underlying abnormality that usually involves the woman's reproductive system.
  
  
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat cramps.
  
  
• Physical exercise can help alleviate menstrual cramps.
  
  
• Menstrual cramps tend to improve with age.

Menstrual Cramps - Effective Treatments

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