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What is period pain (Dysmenorrhea)

Keywords 
  • Dysmenorrhea – period pain.
  • Endometriosis – a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and causing pelvic pain especially associated with menstruation.
  • Primary dysmenorrhea – the most common form of period pain caused by hormonal changes in the body.
  • Prostaglandin (PGF2a) – one of the main hormones responsible for period pain.
  • Secondary dysmenorrhea – period pain caused by other conditions like endometriosis.

Dysmenorrhea, more commonly known as “period pain” is pain that usually occurs in the area below your belly button.

There are two kinds of dysmenorrhea.

  • Primary (the most common and caused by hormonal changes) and
  • Secondary (caused by other conditions like endometriosis).

This section talks about primary dysmenorrhea. There are some resources to help you figure out if you might need to speak with your doctor about secondary dysmenorrhea in this section. Our colleagues at the Canberra endometriosis centre have developed a screening questionnaire called the PIPPA tool (PDF, 263.54 KB)(opens in a new window) (short for Period ImPact and Pain Assessment). If you fill in these five questions they will give you an indication if you can try and manage your symptoms with self-care or if you should speak to your doctor.

Period pain caused by primary dysmenorrhea can feel different from individual to individual, but it’s commonly described as cramping or aching. Sometimes it can feel sharp, like a stabbing sensation, or a feeling of something dragging.

Sometimes this pain will feel like it’s in your lower back as well as your tummy. It’s not as common but some people will feel like the pain goes down into their thighs, which can feel very heavy or stiff.

Pain usually starts within a few hours after your period starts, but some individuals can feel the pain begin anywhere from a few hours or a day before their period starts. This pain usually lasts for the first one to two days once your period starts. If your pain starts more than a day before your period and lasts more than the first two days, you may need to speak with your doctor about this.

The pain that occurs during your period can often come and go, or get worse at certain times, often at night. This cramping sensation is often described as coming in ‘waves’. This is mostly due to changes in levels of some of the hormones involved in causing period pain (see section what causes dysmenorrhea) at different times.

Dysmenorrhea has other symptoms that can come either at the same time, or just before, their period pain.

Common symptoms are:

  • Feeling tired
  • Having emotional changes (like feeling angry or sad)
  • Headaches
  • Breast tenderness
  • Bloating

These are discussed more in ‘what is normal – what other symptoms might I be getting’ section.