Menstrual Variation in Experimental Pain: Correlation with Gonadal Hormones

Abstract

The pain thresholds for all the physical stressors increased after menstruation. The acrophases were located in the follicular (cold pain threshold) or in the luteal phase (pressure and electrical pain thresholds). The results of our correlation analyses indicate only minimal influences of the physiological levels of gonadal hormones on pain sensitivity in women.