Pain threshold in relation to sex hormones
Rao, S.S.; Ranganekar, A.G.; Saifi, A.Q.
Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 31(4): 250-254
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5499 PMID: 3450630 Document Number: 371603
Pain thresholds were assessed in 140 healthy men, women, women taking oral contraceptives, ovariectomized women and children of both sexes to examine the effect of sec hormones. The subjects were 25 women aged 18- 21 (students), 20 women aged 30-40, 25 women taking oral contraceptives, 20 ovariectomized women aged 20-40, 25 males aged 20-22 (medical students), 12 girls aged 8-13 and 13 boys aged 13. Pain threshold was measured by enclosing a serrated metal bottle cap under a blood pressure sphygmomanometer cuff on the forearm and increasing pressure stepwise by 4 mm Hg for 5 sec intervals, until the subject experienced pricking pain, repeating the test 3 times at 10 minute intervals, averaging 9 tests at 10 day intervals for 3 successive months. Pain threshold was low in ovariectomized women, boys and girls (73-81), intermediate in men (94), and high in cycling women (88.6-124). In menstruating women pain thresholds were highest in mid-menstrual phase, and in those on oral contraceptives pain thresholds were highest at pre- and mid-menstrual phases.