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Perimenstrual Pain

Perimenstrual pains are physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. This affects over 75 percent of women of childbearing age, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Solutions for this very real and distressing medical condition vary from lifestyle changes to prescription medication. The U.S. Office on Women's Health recommends vitamins D, B-6 and E, magnesium, folate and calcium supplements to relieve symptoms.

  1. Perimenstrual Headaches

    • Perimenstrual headache pain, like all PMS symptoms, occurs up to two weeks before your period begins and usually lessens or stops once the menstrual flow starts. The risk of suffering from a severe headache, like a migraine, increases in the five days before flow starts and lasts three days into your period. See your doctor if perimenstrual headaches are severely debilitating, and prevent you from working or taking care of your family. Physicians can offer a range of options to help you, including stronger pain medication than that available over-the-counter, and prescriptions for birth control pills to lessen headache intensity or frequency.

    Perimenstrual Back Pain

    • Uterine contractions during a period are more gentle versions of the contractions responsible for pushing out a baby. These contractions contribute to perimenstrual back pain. This is because the muscles that encircle and support your uterus also extend into the lower back. As your uterus expands and contracts, so do pelvic floor muscles. Try Kegel exercises to find relief from lower back perimenstrual pains. The Mayo Clinic recommends these simple exercises for strengthening all the muscles in your pelvic floor. Tense and hold the pelvic floor muscles and then relax. Start by repeating this exercise five times, and then build from there.

    Perimenstrual Cramping Pains

    • Types of perimenstrual cramping pains include discomfort from bloating, constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. These kinds of pain are not the same as the normal menstrual cramps you feel during a period, caused by contracting muscles of the uterus expelling the menstrual flow. Dysmenorrhea is heavy or extreme cramping. Over 50 percent of women in the United States suffer from pain associated with menstruation, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, genetic disposition, stress and previous pelvic inflammatory diseases. Unusually large amounts of prostaglandin hormone making the uterus contract too strongly causes dysmenorrhea. This condition is associated with IUD use and can be a symptom of uterine fibroids and endometriosis.

    Perimenstrual Breast Pain

    • Perimenstrual breast pain, called mastalgia, is common during the time other menstrual symptoms appear, up to two weeks before menstruation and during the first few days of flow. This is because the same hormones that cause menstruation stimulate breast tissue. Swollen breasts rubbing against bras are one source of perimenstrual breast pain. Other causes of this pain include hormone imbalance and the beginning of menopause. It rarely indicates breast cancer, but keeping a regular schedule of breast examinations is a sensible way to rule out this possibility.

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