Abstract
Objective: To investigate alterations in tactile, pain thresholds and pain tolerance thresholds in patients with endometriosis using a multimodality approach. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Multidisciplinary referral center. Patient(s): Women with proven endometriosis (N = 35) and healthy controls (N = 38). Intervention(s): Pain processing was tested using quantitative sensory testing (QST) to investigate sensation, pain, and pain tolerance thresholds for thermal, electrical, and pressure stimuli. Main Outcome Measure(s): Differences in QST measures in patients with endometriosis and in healthy controls on the endometriosis site and control sites, and the association between QST outcomes and patient characteristics. Result(s): We observed a significantly decreased pain tolerance in patients with endometriosis, independent of clinical pain intensity or revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine stage, compared with healthy controls. Conclusion(s): Increasing knowledge concerning mechanisms underlying the pain of women with endometriosis creates opportunities to develop new treatment options. More attention should be paid not only to treat endometriosis in a surgical or pharmacologic way, but also to desensitize by pain education or cognitive therapy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1118-1128 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Fertility and sterility |
Volume | 110 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2018 |
Keywords
- Endometriosis
- intrasubject reliability
- pain
- pain processing
- quantitative sensory testing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology