A comparison of modality-specific somatosensory changes during menstruation in dysmenorrheic and nondysmenorrheic women

Objective: The objective was to evaluate somatosensory thresholds to a mutlimodality stimulation regimen applied both within and outside areas of referred menstrual pain in dysmenorrheic women, over four phases of confirmed ovulatory cycles, and to compare them with thresholds in nondysmenorrheic women during menstruation. Design: Twenty dysmenorrheic women with menstrual pain scoring 5.45 +/- 0.39 cm (mean standard error of mean) on a visual analog scale (10 cm) participated. Fifteen nondysmenorrheic women with a menstrual pain score of 0.4 +/- 0.2 cm participated as controls. Ovulation was confirmed by an enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique. Menstrual pain was described with the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Areas within menstrual pain referral were two abdominal sites and the midline of the low back, and the arm and thigh were the control areas. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pinch pain threshold were determined by a hand-held electronic pressure algometer, the heat pain threshold (HPT) by a contact thermode, and the tactile threshold with von Frey hairs. Results: In dysmenorrheic women the McGill Pain Questionnaire showed a larger sensory and affective component of pain than the evaluative and miscellaneous groups. The HPT and PPT were lower in the menstrual phase than in the ovulatory, luteal, and premenstrual phases, both within and outside areas of referred menstrual pain U) <0.01), with a more pronounced decrease at the referral pain areas. The pinch pain threshold was lower in the menstrual phase than in the ovulatory phase (p <0.02), and the tactile threshold did not differ significantly across the menstrual phases or within any site. Dysmenorrheic women had a lower HPT at the control sites and a lower PPT at the abdomen, back, and control sites, than in those of nondysmenorrheic women in the menstrual phase. Conclusions: The results show reduced somatosensory pain thresholds during menstruation to heat and pressure stimulation. both within and outside areas of referred menstrual pain in dysmenorrheic women. Dysmenorrheic women showed a lower HPT at the control sites and a lower PPT at all the sites than those for nondysmenorrheic women in the menstrual phase. The altered somatosensory thresholds may be dependent on a spinal mechanism of central hyperexcitability, induced by recurrent moderate to severe menstrual pain.