The Effect of Vaginal Somatovisceral Pain on Hip Extension Mobility and Strength in Women at Mid-cycle With Dysmenorrhea vs. Controls: A Case-control Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying women with dysmenorrhea, a condition involving painful periods, to see if they have a stronger musculoskeletal and autonomic nervous system response to painful internal stimuli compared to women without this pain. The study also aims to explore how interoceptive awareness, or the ability to sense internal body signals, might affect this relationship. This investigation seeks to better understand pain perception and related body changes in women with this condition. The study involves two groups: women with moderate to severe menstrual pain and age-matched controls with mild or no pain. Participants will attend two sessions: one for information and preparation, including tracking their menstrual cycle and heart rate variability (HRV) daily for 30 days, and a lab session where they will receive a controlled visceral pain stimulus. During the lab visit, hip mobility and muscle strength will be measured before and after the pain stimulus, and HRV will be recorded throughout. Participants will fill out questionnaires, perform daily HRV measurements with a phone app, and attend a lab session where detailed physical and physiological assessments occur. The study will measure changes in hip range of motion, muscle strength, and heart rate variability immediately after the pain stimulus. It will also assess interoceptive awareness during testing. The total participation includes daily monitoring for about a month and a single lab visit, with safety and comfort maintained throughout.

A Research Study Exploring How Musculoskeletal Function and the Autonomic Nervous System Relate to Visceral Pain in Women With and Without Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods).