Dysmenorrhea and the Body: More Research on Understudied Phenomenon

 

In their 2020 study “Dysmenorrhea Subtypes Exhibit Differential Quantitative Sensory Assessment Profiles” by Hellman et. al. researchers looked at the relationship between dysmenorrhea and provoked bladder pain, and sensory sensitivity. Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for menstruation pain. This study found widespread sensory sensitivity in women with dysmenorrhea and provoked bladder pain, and also called for more research into this extremely understudied area (Hellman 2020).

            Because this study was published so recently, there has not yet been time for the scientific community to respond these findings. However, there have been other studies that look more deeply at the mechanisms of dysmenorrhea and investigate why it caused the widespread sensory sensitivity found the Hellman study. One review paper by Barcikowska et. al. wanted to investigate cytokins and other proinflammatory factors and their role in primary dysmenorrhea (Barcikowska 2020). They found previous research that looked only at biochemical reactions between the endocrine, vascular, and immune systems lacking. Another study by Li et. al. looked at the association between dysmenorrhea and chronic pain, both pelvic pain (like the Hellman study) and nonpelvic pain. The team reported a positive association between the two factors (Li 2020).

            While the Hellman study was published too recently for there to be anything more recent in direct response to the questions it posed, there have been other studies and reviews that research the phenomenon of dysmenorrhea and its relationship other conditions of the body. Not only does this highlight the need for further research in this area, but it shows that future research needs to be done on the effects of dysmenorrhea as well as the cause of heightened severity in some women.

 

References:

Barcikowska, Z., Rajkowska-Labon, E., Grzybowska, M. E., Hansdorfer-Korzon, R., & Zorena, K. (2020). Inflammatory Markers in Dysmenorrhea and Therapeutic Options. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1191. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041191

Hellman, K. M., Roth, G. E., Dillane, K. E., Garrison, E. F., Oladosu, F. A., Clauw, D. J., & Tu, F. F. (2020). Dysmenorrhea subtypes exhibit differential quantitative sensory assessment profiles. Pain, 161(6), 1227–1236. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001826

Li, R., Li, B., Kreher, D. A., Benjamin, A. R., Gubbels, A., & Smith, S. M. (2020). Association between dysmenorrhea and chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 223(3), 350–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2020.03.002