Allodynia and dysmenorrhea

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Created On: 24/02/2020

Cutaneous allodynia (pain from a non-painful stimulus) is a sign that can be observed among women with chronic pelvic pain.

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Key take away

The presence of pain as a result of a non-painful stimulus is known as allodynia. This study revealed that allodynia has been associated with severe dysmenorrhea. Also, with the course of years, pain sensitivity progressed over the time in women suffering from severe dysmenorrhea.

Background

Cutaneous allodynia (pain from a non-painful stimulus) is a sign that can be observed among women with chronic pelvic pain. Dysmenorrhea is recognized as a common cause of chronic pelvic pain in women. This study was conducted to explore the frequency of allodynia and the relationship between allodynia and severe dysmenorrhea.

Method

We enrolled women in this study if they had experienced chronic pelvic pain for more than six months. Women provided information regarding their chronic pelvic pain and menstrual function, specifically the severity of their menstrual pain. In addition to a gynaecological assessment, women were tested for allodynia and pain pressure thresholds.

Result

Abdominal allodynia was present in 62.1% of 181 women who participated. Women with allodynia had a significantly greater rate of severe dysmenorrhea and significantly greater duration of severe dysmenorrhea. Pain pressure thresholds were demonstrated to decrease significantly in relation to increasing duration of severe dysmenorrhea.

Conclusion

There is a greater frequency of chronic pain among women with a history of severe dysmenorrhea. Women who experienced prolonged severe dysmenorrhea were shown to have a progressive increase in pain sensitivity (reflected in reduced pain pressure thresholds). These findings support efforts to manage dysmenorrhea early in a woman’s life with approaches to suppress menstrual function.