Muscle Cramps Causes, Cramping Treatment

If you're a woman, chances are you've dealt with menstrual cramps — even if you've never heard of "dysmenorrhea," the medical term for them. Menstrual cramps are dull or throbbing pains in the lower abdomen. Many women experience menstrual cramps just before and during their menstrual periods.

For some women, the discomfort is merely annoying. For others, it can be severe enough to interfere with everyday activities for a few days every month.

Menstrual cramps are classified as primary dysmenorrhea or secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea involves no physical abnormality and usually begins six months to a year after you begin menstruating. Secondary dysmenorrhea involves an underlying physical cause, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids.

If you have primary dysmenorrhea, there are some measures you can take to ease the discomfort. You can also be rest assured that cramps tend to decrease in intensity as you get older and often disappear after pregnancy. For secondary dysmenorrhea, managing your cramps involves treating the underlying cause.

Common Causes:

Muscle spasms can cause cramps and are usually brought on by the following:

•    Muscle fatigue
•    Heavy exercise
•    Dehydration
•    Pregnancy
•    Hypothyroidism
•    Depleted magnesium or calcium stores or other metabolic abnormalities
•    Alcoholism
•    Kidney failure leading to uremia
•    Medications

Symptoms

Most women experience menstrual cramps at some time in their lives. Whether it's primary or secondary, dysmenorrhea can be severe enough to disrupt your day-to-day routine.

If you have primary dysmenorrhea, you most likely developed it within a year after you started menstruating. You may continue to have cramps through your 20s or until you have a baby. Then, for unknown reasons, they're likely to become less intense. With secondary dysmenorrhea, cramps may start or return later in life, but can begin anytime after you begin menstruating.
Signs and symptoms of dysmenorrhea may include:

•    Dull or throbbing pain in your lower abdomen
•    Pain that radiates to your lower back and thighs

Other signs and symptoms that can occur along with menstrual cramps include:

•    Nausea and vomiting
•    Loose stools
•    Sweating
•    Dizziness

Treatments and drugs

For secondary dysmenorrhea, you'll need treatment for the underlying cause. Depending on that cause, treatment could include antibiotics to treat infection or surgery to remove fibroids or polyps or to treat endometriosis.

You may be able to reduce your discomfort from dysmenorrhea by using an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve). Self-care strategies also may help relieve discomfort. For severe cramping, your doctor might recommend low-dose oral contraceptives to prevent ovulation, which may reduce the production of prostaglandins and therefore the severity of your cramps.

Article Tags: Secondary Dysmenorrhea,

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