Electrotherapy works by stimulating the nerves at point of contact and overloading the brain’s pain receptors. The body does not develop a tolerance, so it is suitable for long-term use.

Traditional electrotherapy machines cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars and are used for a range of conditions, including by physiotherapists to help muscle recovery, to help cancer patients, or in birthing wards to help women in labour.

But on top of these devices being expensive, they also come with a short battery life and are too big to use in day-to-day life.

Customers use the Ovira device with two compression pads, which are placed over nerve roots that supply the sensory fibres to the uterus.

In mid-2018 Williams enlisted the help of a friend who was an engineer to design a prototype of an electrotherapy device, which could be worn under a woman's clothes and have a battery that lasts long enough to effectively treat period and endometriosis pain.

After a few hurdles in finding the right manufacturer, Williams now has European, US and Australian regulatory approval for Ovira's device, which customers can claim on private health insurance.

Customers use the Ovira device with two compression pads, which are placed over nerve roots that supply the sensory fibres to the uterus. The company claims it works by imparting a current to prevent the pain signals from travelling to the brain, and causing the muscles in the uterine area to relax, resulting in a calming analgesic effect.

"Pain is so subjective, but what we can say is that the device drastically reduces or eliminates your pain, depending on how bad it is," Williams says.

"Previously I was taking extremely heavy painkillers... now I put it on in the morning, it takes five to 10 minutes to kick in and then I notice a real difference. It lasts for eight hours and it's the only product on the market that can give you pain relief for that long."

A survey by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, indicated almost a quarter of women require time off work due to pain associated with periods.


A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on the prevalence of endometriosis in Australian women also stated that the condition resulted in 34,200 hospitalisations between 2016-2017.

As many as one in nine women between the ages of 40 to 44 were found to have endometriosis, while one in 15 women between 25 and 29 were estimated to have been diagnosed with the condition.

Williams has not completed any clinical studies on the effectiveness of the device to date. This is something she intends to do in the future, but she does not see it as a barrier to Ovira's commercialisation in the meantime.

The device is designed to be worn under a woman's clothes and have a battery that lasts long enough to effectively treat period and endometriosis pain.

"A study by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners found that 86 per cent of women with Dysmenorrhea sought information from people that weren't a doctor. There's a substantial distrust toward the medical industry," she says.

"While a study will be great longer term to validate the product, it's not what women care about at this point. They look to their friends for advice... word of mouth will be very strong for Ovira."

Blackbird partner Rick Baker says Williams was his first real exposure to the problem of period pain.

"It doesn't take much research to realise this is a large problem," he says.

"As with a lot of our investments, we love that there is a strong community aspect to what Alice is doing. Ovira is more than just a product, it’s a movement to change the conversation and bring women together around a hidden, misunderstood, but very common problem."