Dysmenorrhoea

Abstract

Key content Dysmenorrhoea is a common condition of women in their reproductive years. Local factors and the centralised response to pain are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology. The majority of women will respond to medical treatments. The role of surgical treatments is small. More evidence is now available on the use of complementary therapies to treat dysmenorrhoea. Learning objectives To understand the theories regarding the aetiology of dysmenorrhoea. To update knowledge of evidenced‐based treatments for dysmenorrhoea. Ethical issues Is there a role for surgical treatments to interrupt nerve pathways in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea? Would women who fail to respond to medical treatments for dysmenorrhoea be best treated by chronic pain teams? Please cite this article as: Wallace S, Keightley A, Gie C. Dysmenorrhoea. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2010;12:149–154.