Every woman in the reproductive age is confronted with regular inconveniences connected to menstruation. For 16% to 91% of menstruating women – depending greatly on the age – this comes with throbbing cramping pain in the lower abdomen (so-called dysmenorrhea), which for some is just a monthly annoyance, for others strongly interferes with everyday life. Young women between 17 and 24 years old are generally most affected by severe pain during their menses. For up to 15% of women suffering from dysmenorrhea, the pain is so severe that they cannot attend work, school or other activities on a regular basis. Menstrual cramps are often accompanied by other symptoms such as back pain, sweating, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or tremulousness. Apart from age, other risk factors for dysmenorrhea have been described, such as smoking, higher BMI, heavy menstrual flow, depression, stress, childlessness and family history or painful menstruation.
