Primary dysmenorrhea is commonly a straightforward diagnosis that can be made accurately
with an attentive history. In young women who have classic symptoms and no specific
indication, a pelvic examination is often unnecessary in the initial evaluation. The
opportunity for primary care practitioners to support women in unearthing the best
approach to this chronic recurrent discomfort to minimize adverse life impact is significant
and valuable. Identification of patients who are incapacitated by their symptoms or
have symptoms that represent underlying pathology is a critical component of a careful
history. The wide range of treatments available for primary dysmenorrhea virtually
ensures that all females troubled by the symptoms can find relief with safe and inexpensive
treatments while limiting negative side effects.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribers receive full online access to your subscription and archive of back issues up to and including 2002.
Content published before 2002 is available via pay-per-view purchase only.
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Primary Care: Clinics in Office PracticeAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Dysmenorrhea.J Reprod Med. 1985; 30: 154-167
- WHO systematic review of prevalence of chronic pelvic pain: neglected reproductive health morbidity.BMC Public Health. 2006; 6: 177
- Primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls and treatment with oral contraceptives.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2001; 14: 3-8
- Prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea on Hispanic female adolescents.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000; 154: 1226-1229
- Factors influencing the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea in young women.Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990; 97: 588-594
- Onset of ovulation after menarche in girls: a longitudinal study.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008; 93: 1186-1194
- Natural progression of menstrual pain in nulliparous women at reproductive age: an observational study.J Chin Med Assoc. 2006; 69: 484-488
- Effects of naproxen sodium on menstrual prostaglandins and primary dysmenorrhea.Obstet Gynecol. 1983; 61: 285-291
- Prostaglandin receptors are mediators of vascular function in endometrial pathologies.Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2006; 252 ([Review] [227 refs] Source): 191-200
- The cyclic activity of the non-pregnant human uterus. A new method for recording intrauterine pressure.Fertil Steril. 1966; 17: 34-38
- The influence of a combined oral contraceptive on uterine activity and reactivity to agonists in primary dysmenorrhea.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1989; 68: 31-34
- Primary dysmenorrhea and uterine blood flow: a color Doppler study.J Reprod Med. 2005; 50: 251-255
- Validation of a test model of induced dysmenorrhea.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2006; 85: 451-457
- Dysmenorrhea.Am Fam Physician. 2005; 71: 285-291
- An epidemiologic study of young women with dysmenorrhea.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1982; 144: 655-660
- Prevalence of sexual assault history among women with common gynecologic symptoms.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998; 179: 1013-1019
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. AHFS Drug Information 2008. McEvoy GK, Snow EK, editors. Accessed August 4, 2008. Treatment guidelines from the medical letter: drugs for pain. 2007;5(56):23–5.
- drugs for pain. 2007; 5: 23-25
- Prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: outcome trials reviewed.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1984; 148: 96-103
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for primary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003; (CD001751)
- Clinical efficacy and differential inhibition of menstrual fluid prostaglandin F2alpha in a randomized, double-blind, crossover treatment with placebo, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen in primary dysmenorrhea.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007; 196 (35e1–5)
- Effects of naproxen sodium on menstrual prostaglandins and primary dysmenorrhea.Obstet Gynecol. 1983; 61: 285-291
- Cox-2 inhibitors and their role in gynecology.Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2002; 57: 768-780
Smith RP. Dysmenorrhea in gynecology for the primary care physician. In: Stovall TG, Ling FW, Zite NB, et al, editors. 2nd edition. Springer; 2008. p. 335–9.
- Primary dysmenorrheal treatment with a desogestrel-containing low dose oral contraceptive.Contraception. 2002; 66: 393-399
- Combined oral contraceptives for primary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001; 4 (CD002120)
- Continuous or extended cycle vs. cyclic use of combined oral contraceptives for contraception.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005; (CD004695)
- Acceptability of the long-term contraceptive levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system: a 3-year follow-up study.Contraception. 2003; 67: 87-91
- Injectable depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception: an update for US clinicians.Int J Fertil Womens Med. 1998; 43: 73-83
- Nafarelin for endometriosis.The Medical Letter. 1990; 32: 81-82
- Effect of nifedipine on myometrial activity and lower abdominal pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1978; 85: 142-148
- Effects of terbutaline on myometrial activity, uterine blood flow, and lower abdominal pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1976; 19: 303-312
- Effect of SR49059, an orally active vasopressin receptor antagonist in the prevention of dysmenorrhea.Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 2000; 107: 614-619
- Transdermal nitroglycerine in the management of pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea: a multinational pilot study.J Int Med Res. 1997; 25: 41-44
- Diet and sex-hormone binding globulin, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual symptoms.Obstet Gynecol. 2000; 95: 245-250
- Endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and diet – what is the evidence?.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2007; 132: 140-147
- Herbal and dietary therapies for primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001; (CD002124)
Zhu X, Proctor M, Bensoussan A, et al. Chinese herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;2:CD005288.
- Behavioral interventions for primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007; (CD002248)
- Spinal manipulation for primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006; (CD002119)
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002; (CD002123)
- Acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized study on clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness in usual care.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008; 198: 166-168
- A longitudinal study of risk factors for the occurrence, duration and severity of menstrual cramps in a cohort of college women.Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1996; 103: 1134-1142
- Counseling couples about coitus during menstrual flow.Contracept Technol Update. 1981; 2: 167
- Use of continuous low level topical heat in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.Obstet Gynecol. 2001; 97: 343-349
- Exercise and primary dysmenorrhea: a comprehensive and critical review of the literature.Sports Med. 2008; 38: 859-870
- Primary dysmenorrhea and physical activity.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998; 30: 906-909
- Laparoscopic CO2 laser nerve ablation for treatment of drug resistant primary dysmenorrhea.Fertil Steril. 1992; 58: 422-424
- Comparison of laparoscopic presacral neurectomy and laparoscopic uterine nerve ablation for primary dysmenorrhea.J Reprod Med. 1996; 41: 463-466
- Surgical interruption of pelvic nerve pathways in dysmenorrhea: a systematic review of effectiveness.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2007; 86: 4-15
Article info
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
