Dysmenorrhea is a medical term for pain with menstruation or menstrual cramps. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: Primary and secondary.
Dysmenorrhea is associated with increased pain sensitivity and heavy menstrual bleeding.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of dysmenorrhea often begin immediately after ovulation and can last until the end of menstruation. The symptoms often co-occurring with menstrual pain include:
- Nausea,
- Vomiting,
- Diarrhea,
- Headache,
- Dizziness,
- Disorientation,
- Fainting and fatigue.
Cause:
The most common cause of dysmenorrhea is endometriosis.
Other causes of secondary dysmenorrhea include:
- Leiomyoma,
- Adenomyosis,
- Ovarian cysts,
- Pelvic congestion and
- Accessory uterine mass.
Risk Factors:
- Family history
- Stress
- Depression
- Physical weakness
Physical assessment: Many times in this type of condition patient’s core muscle, calf muscle, quadriceps muscle became weak. So the physician must have to find out all these by doing physical test.
Treatment
In general, treatments for dysmenorrhea include both medication and self-care strategies. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health. No one treatment works for all symptoms, but trying a variety of treatment strategies can have a cumulative effect.
Physiotherapy treatment: For taking physiotherapy treatment patient must have to go in a physiotherapy center and the physiotherapist will apply two types of treatment. They are-
Manual therapies:
Stretching and strengthening exercises-
Electrical therapies:
1: UST- It is a sound wave which passes through in deep tissues and also makes a resonance that increase blood circulation and release pain.
2: TENS- Electromagnetic wave that helps to reduce pain.
3: HIL- Helps in deep penetration and reduce pain.
4: ESWT- In case of chronic condition ESWT helps to create micro trauma and also helps in automatic healing.