Healthcare Professional Version Brooke Entwisle Dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation. There are two types of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea is common menstrual cramps. Pain is usually felt in the lower abdomen or back and can be mild to severe. The pain usually begins a few hours before bleeding, intensifies within a few hours, and stops within one to two days.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by a disorder in the woman's reproductive organs.
Pain usually begins earlier in the menstrual cycle and is often localized to one side. The pain not usually intensify or stop as suddenly as with primary. During a woman's menstrual cycle an excessive amount of the endometrial prostaglandin F is released. This hormone increases the contraction of the muscle of the uterus. If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can press against nearby blood vessels.