It's the news women across the world will have been waiting to hear... could this be the end to period pain?

A radical new drug-free treatment claims to put an end to the monthly misery suffered by an estimated 75 per cent of women.

Period pain, or dysmenorrhoea, can cause abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness and diarrhoea and, though many rely in over the counter painkillers, one in five women say it their symptoms are so severe that their everyday life is affected.

But the new device, called Allay, is simply a metal loop covered in cloth which is held in place by underwear. The loop is attached by wires to a tiny battery operated unit containing a computerised microchip.

Once switched on, the device zaps the wearer with small electrical currents creating a 'pulsed' electromagnetic field and apparently provides some much needed pain relief.

The technology, known as PEMF, is based on the theory that traumatised cells produce a reduced natural electrical charge, in turn triggering chemical signals that cause inflammation and pain. The makers of the new device claim that the it simply restores the natural electrical balance, reducing the symptoms of period pain.

Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told the Daily Mail: "Some are so disabled by period pain they cannot go to work, school or university. If this patch really is able to make a difference, then I would welcome it."

So if the hot water bottle approach is no longer enough, the Allay will be available in High Street chemists within the next six months and will cost around £30.