000161704 001__ 161704 000161704 005__ 20251017144606.0 000161704 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.3390/healthcare13111240 000161704 0248_ $$2sideral$$a144372 000161704 037__ $$aART-2025-144372 000161704 041__ $$aeng 000161704 100__ $$aMorales-Lalaguna, Ana Cristina 000161704 245__ $$aThe Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Electrical Thresholds for Sensory and Pain Perception: Implications for Exercise and Rehabilitation in Women With and Without Primary Dysmenorrhea—A Pilot Study 000161704 260__ $$c2025 000161704 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000161704 5203_ $$aBackground: Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle (MC) influence pain perception, potentially affecting exercise performance and rehabilitation in women. This effect may be more pronounced in individuals with primary dysmenorrhea (PD), requiring tailored physiotherapeutic and exercise interventions. Objective: To analyze the influence of MC phases on sensory electrical threshold (SET) and pain electrical threshold (PET) in eumenorrheic women with and without PD, considering the potential implications for physical activity and rehabilitation. Methods: An observational longitudinal study was conducted with 34 physically active women, divided into a control group (CG) and a PD group. SET and PET were measured using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at the forearm (peripheral site) and lower abdomen (pain-referred site) across five MC phases. Pain intensity was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: SET and PET were significantly lower in the premenstrual phase (p < 0.001), suggesting increased pain sensitivity. VAS scores were higher in the PD group during all phases, except for the follicular phase (p < 0.033), with the highest pain levels recorded in the menstrual and premenstrual phases. While no significant differences in SET and PET were found between groups across most phases, the PD group exhibited a significantly higher SET in the forearm during the premenstrual phase (p = 0.005), potentially indicating altered central pain modulation. Conclusions: MC-related hormonal fluctuations affect pain sensitivity, particularly in women with PD. These findings underscore the need for phase-specific exercise adaptations and rehabilitation strategies to improve performance, pain management, and recovery in physically active women. 000161704 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000161704 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000161704 700__ $$aRíos-Asín, Izarbe$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000161704 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-7732-3914$$aPardos-Aguilella, Pilar$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000161704 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-5842-6010$$aPérez-Rey, Jorge$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000161704 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-5161-7479$$aEstébanez-de-Miguel, Elena$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000161704 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-9080-0543$$aMalo-Urriés, Miguel$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000161704 7102_ $$11003$$2027$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Anatom.Histolog.Humanas$$cArea Anatom.Embriol.Humana 000161704 7102_ $$11006$$2413$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería$$cÁrea Fisioterapia 000161704 773__ $$g13, 11 (2025), 1240 [14 pp.]$$pHealthcare (Basel)$$tHealthcare (Switzerland)$$x2227-9032 000161704 8564_ $$s517323$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/161704/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000161704 8564_ $$s2657211$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/161704/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000161704 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:161704$$particulos$$pdriver 000161704 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:15:21 000161704 980__ $$aARTICLE