Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is a medical condition of pain during menstruation that interferes with daily activities, as defined by ACOG and others. Still, dysmenorrhea is often defined simply as
menstrual pain, or at least menstrual pain that is excessive. This article uses the dysmenorrhea definition of menstrual pain that interferes with daily activities, and uses the term
menstrual pain as any pain during menstruation whether it is normal or abnormal.
Menstrual pain is often used synonymously with
menstrual cramps, but the latter may also refer to menstrual uterine contractions, which are generally of higher strength, duration and frequency than in the rest of the menstrual cycle. Dysmenorrhea can feature different kinds of pain, including sharp, throbbing, dull, nauseating, burning, or shooting pain. Dysmenorrhea may precede menstruation by several days or may accompany it, and it usually subsides as menstruation tapers off. Dysmenorrhea may coexist with excessively heavy blood loss, known as
menorrhagia.