The effects of menstruation on pain modulation
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Pain has been found to be perceived differently between sexes. Specifically, females tend to perceive stimuli as more painful than males (Melchior et al., 2016; Bartley & Rhudy, 2012; Mogil, 2012). The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether gonadal hormones are associated with pain modulation. Given mixed findings in previous research, this study examined menstrual cycle irregularity is associated with a paradigm of descending pain inhibition known as conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in a sample of females (N = 32; Mage = 24.16 years, SD = 6.84). This study also sought to investigate the relationship between physical activity and CPM in two groups: normally cycling women and those with irregular menstrual cycles. Self report of menstrual cycle regularity, resting heart rate, and pain responses during an in person study visit were utilized. Results indicated that there was no significant association between menstrual cycle irregularity and CPM. There was also no significant association found between physical activity and CPM. A significant association was found between age and CPM responses, but only in the regular menstrual cycle group. These results agree with previous literature reports that found no association between menstruation and CPM, confirming the complexity between the menstrual cycle and pain response.
Description
2025