Does the ovarian cycle influence the pressure-pain threshold of the masticatory muscles in symptom-free women?
AIMS: To test the hypothesis that the ovarian cycle influences the pressure-pain threshold of the masticatory muscles. METHODS: Eighteen healthy women with a regular menstrual cycle (28 +/- 2 days), ranging in age from 18 to 35 years, participated in the study. For each subject, pressure-pain thresholds (PPTs) of the masseter and temporalis muscles were assessed at 4 muscular sites by means of an electronic algometer. Measurements were taken at 4 separate sessions across the menstrual cycle corresponding to the following phases: menstrual, follicular, periovulatory, and luteal. Menstrual cycle phases were determined by a pelvic ultrasonographic screening. The study was carried out in a single-blind design, and the initial session was randomly determined for each individual. Data collected were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the PPTs of several masticatory muscles (2 of 4) are influenced by the ovarian cycle, but to a minor extent
Eighteen healthy women with a regular menstrual cycle (28 +/- 2 days), ranging in age from 18 to 35 years, participated in the study. For each subject, pressure-pain thresholds (PPTs) of the masseter and temporalis muscles were assessed at 4 muscular sites by means of an electronic algometer. Measurements were taken at 4 separate sessions across the menstrual cycle corresponding to the following phases: menstrual, follicular, periovulatory, and luteal. Menstrual cycle phases were determined by a pelvic ultrasonographic screening. The study was carried out in a single-blind design, and the initial session was randomly determined for each individual. Data collected were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance.
