Study, 1986
Does pain feel worse for women with PMS?
Women with PMS reported higher pain intensity during both the week before and during menstruation, compared to women without PMS, though pain tolerance tests showed no clear difference.
What they did
Researchers compared pain sensitivity in 11 women with PMS and 10 women without PMS, measuring how much pain they could tolerate and how intense pain felt to them at two different times of their cycle.
What they found
Women with PMS reported higher pain intensity in both the week before their period and during their cycle phases. However, tests of pain threshold and tolerance showed no clear difference between the groups.
What it means for you
Women with PMS may perceive pain as more intense, but this may not mean they physically tolerate pain differently. The study was small with only 21 women total.
11
women with PMS
10
women without PMS
2
cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Pain responsivity in women with premenstrual syndrome across the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Kuczmierczyk AR, Adams HE, Calhoun KS et al.
- Journal
- Perceptual and motor skills
- Year
- 1986
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 11
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2466/pms.1986.63.2.387
Topics
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