Case-control study, 2016
Why do women with PMDD experience more pain, and is their body's natural pain control system working properly?
Women with PMDD experience greater pain during the late-luteal phase and increased spinal sensitivity during ovulation. Their pain-blocking system works normally, suggesting pain stems from spinal cord sensitivity rather than a brain problem.
What they did
Case-control study with 14 women with PMDD and 14 women without PMDD. Researchers tested pain responses and spinal reflex responses at different points in the menstrual cycle using electrical stimulation and a painful ischemia task.
What they found
Women with PMDD experienced greater pain during the late-luteal phase and enhanced spinal responses during ovulation, both independent of the body's natural pain control system. Both groups showed normal pain inhibition that did not differ by menstrual phase. Only women with PMDD showed pain inhibition of the spinal reflex response.
What it means for you
PMDD pain may be driven by increased spinal cord sensitivity rather than problems with the brain's pain control systems. This is a relatively small study from 2016.
14
women with PMDD
14
women without PMDD
About the study
- Original title
- Endogenous inhibition of pain and spinal nociception in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Palit S, Bartley EJ, Kuhn BL et al.
- Journal
- Journal of pain research
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Case-control study
- What was tested
- Painful electrical stimulation and ischemia task to measure pain responses.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2147/jpr.s97109
Topics
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