You’ve probably gotten used to dealing with your run-of-the-mill menstrual cramps — which usually begin a couple of days before your period arrives and are gone within two to three days of the start of your period.
Some women, however, keep having cramps after their period has ended due to a condition like endometriosis. Other women — especially those who are trying to conceive — may experience unusual cramps outside of their period due to ovulation or implantation.
Here’s what cramps after your period might signal and what to do about them.
What does it mean if I have cramps after my period?
Cramps that occur after your period can have several different causes.
When a reproductive disorder causes menstrual pain, it's called secondary dysmenorrhea. With secondary dysmenorrhea, cramps may start just before your period begins, get more intense during your period and may keep occurring after your period ends. This type of cramping may begin later in life and tends to get worse with time.
If you experience new cramps around the time you expect your next period — especially if you’re actively trying to conceive — you may be experiencing implantation of a fertilized egg in your uterus.
And if you frequently experience abdominal pain mid-cycle for a few minutes up to a day or two, it could be ovulation cramping.
Are cramps after a period has ended normal?
Cramps after your period may signal a reproductive disorder, which is why it’s worth bringing up with your doctor.
That said, they're also extremely common: More than half of all women who menstruate experience period pain. Among adolescents and young women, an estimated 10 percent also have secondary dysmenorrhea.
What does it mean if I have cramps a week after my period?
There are several reasons you might experience unusual cramping a week or so after your period. Cramps that last after your period has ended or pain that occurs throughout your cycle may be linked to a condition like endometriosis or fibroids.
Read This Next
More rarely, cramps that suddenly appear after your period could be linked to ovulation or the implantation of a fertilized egg in the wall of your uterus.
Causes of cramps after period
Pain that appears midway through your cycle could be:
- Ovulation pain: Pain that suddenly develops midway through your cycle (about two weeks after your last period) may be a sign of ovulation, which is when an ovary releases an egg. Cramps may be sharp or dull, and they occur either in the middle or on one side of your lower abdomen or pelvis. They can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days.
- Implantation: If you have menstrual-like cramps but no period, it might be implantation pain. This type of cramping outside of your period can occur as early as six days and as late as 12 days after ovulation. Implantation usually occurs just before the time you’d normally expect your period and may be accompanied by light spotting. But if you ovulated early in your cycle — i.e. right after your last period — you could theoretically experience implantation cramping a week or so after your period.
If you experience cramps that begin with your period and continue after it’s over, or if you have abdominal pain throughout your cycle, it could be secondary dysmenorrhea linked to:
- Endometriosis: The most common cause behind secondary dysmenorrhea, endometriosis affects an estimated 10 to 15 percent of all women between the ages of 15 and 44. It happens when tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it (like on the fallopian tubes or ovaries), where it bleeds with every cycle. It can cause scar tissue to form that sometimes results in severe period pain, chronic pelvic pain and infertility.
- Adenomyosis: When the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle wall of the uterus, you may have painful periods, excessive bleeding and cramps after your period. Infertility problems can also occur.
- Fibroids: These noncancerous growths develop from the uterine muscles and can be found inside or outside of the uterus or in the uterine wall. Fibroids usually occur in women in their 30s and 40s, although they can appear at any age. They might not cause any symptoms, or they can issues like infertility, heavy bleeding, constipation or less commonly, painful periods or dull or sharp pelvic pain at any time in your cycle.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): A bacterial infection most often linked to an untreated sexually transmitted infection, PID starts in the uterus and can spread to other reproductive organs, causing severe pain (usually not associated with periods) and fevers. It can eventually lead to serious infections and problems getting pregnant.
What do cramps after your period feel like?
Cramps after your period may feel like an aching, sometimes severe, pain or pressure in your abdomen or pelvis.
Other signs and symptoms of secondary dysmenorrhea include:
- Pain in the lower back, hips or legs
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
If you’re experiencing cramping due to implantation, you may soon start to experience early signs of pregnancy like nausea and tender breasts.
What to do about cramps after your period
Check in with your practitioner. The treatments he or she will suggest depend on the cause of the cramps after your period and may include:
- Pain relievers can help ease discomfort. Talk to your doctor if you’re trying to conceive, as some painkillers taken around the time of conception have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
- Birth control pills are a common treatment your doctor may suggest trying first. If they're unsuccessful, he or she may recommend a hormonal IUD or drugs known as gonadotropin-releasing agonists or antagonists.
- Laparoscopy is a surgery that can help determine the cause of the pain and treat problems like endometriosis or uterine fibroids. Your doctor may recommend it if hormonal therapy is unsuccessful, especially if you're trying to conceive.
- Magnesium and vitamin B1 supplements may help ease dysmenorrhea (i.e. period cramping), although there’s not a lot of research to back up these benefits.
- Acupuncture has been shown to be somewhat effective in easing dysmenorrhea, although the research is limited.
- Regular exercise may help reduce the intensity of period cramps.
When to call the doctor about cramps after your period has ended
See your doctor if your cramps disrupt your life on a monthly basis or if they’re progressively getting worse. Also check in if you start having cramps for the first time after the age of 25.
If you’re trying to conceive, your doctor can run tests and help you to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. And if you have a secondary dysmenorrhea linked to a condition like endometriosis or fibroids, he or she can offer treatments to address the underlying causes and help relieve the pain.
Don’t assume that you just have to learn to live with cramps after your period. There may be an effective treatment to reduce the discomfort. And it’s always a good idea to call your practitioner about any unusual, sudden or severe abdominal cramps and pain.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
