Pain threshold in relation to sex hormones.

Pain threshold to mechanical stimulus was determined in 140 subjects comprising of healthy volunteers of both sexes and of different ages, females taking oral contraceptives and bilaterally oopherectomised females. Pain threshold was observed to be low in oopherectomised females, boys and girls and intermediate in healthy males. It was high in menstruating females aged 18-21 years. There was a marked fluctuation in pain threshold in menstruating females. It was low at menstrual phase. In females taking oral contraceptives it was high at pre and midmenstrual phases. In females not taking oral contraceptives it was low at pre-menstrual and high as midmenstrual phases.