---
title: How can doctors treat menstrual pain? | Niyora
description: Birth control pills and ibuprofen-like drugs (NSAIDs) can treat almost all menstrual pain, using imaging tests to identify the cause. This is a review of clin
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-practical-approach-to-the-patient-with-dysmenorrhea-1980/
---

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- How can doctors treat menstrual pain?

Review, 1980

# How can doctors treat menstrual pain?

Birth control pills and ibuprofen-like drugs (NSAIDs) can treat almost all menstrual pain, using imaging tests to identify the cause. This is a review of clinical practice from 1980.

 Early or limited evidence

Women with menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea)

## What they did

Reviewed clinical approaches to diagnosing and treating pelvic pain during menstruation.

## What they found

Menstrual pain can come from physical causes, hormonal problems, or psychological factors. Imaging tests and laparoscopy have improved diagnosis. Birth control pills and prostaglandin inhibitors (NSAIDs like ibuprofen) have improved treatment and now enable doctors to effectively treat almost all cases of menstrually related pelvic pain.

## What it means for you

Most menstrual pain can now be treated effectively with standard medications. If these don't work, specialist care or psychiatric consultation may help. The main limitation is this review is from 1980 and modern approaches may have changed.

## About the study

Original title A practical approach to the patient with dysmenorrhea Authors Heinrichs WL, Adamson GD Journal The Journal of reproductive medicine Year 1980 Study design Review What was tested Birth control pills and NSAIDs (prostaglandin inhibitors) Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7001023/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7001023/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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