---
title: Do women with PMS and back pain have more muscle tension when stressed during the premenstrual phase?
description: Yes, women with PMS and severe back pain showed much greater muscle tension in their lower back when stressed during the premenstrual phase. This is a small s
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-premenstrual-syndrome-psychophysiologic-concomitants-of-perceived-stress-and-1988/
---

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- Do women with PMS and back pain have more muscle tension when stressed during the premenstrual phase?

Randomised trial, 1988

# Do women with PMS and back pain have more muscle tension when stressed during the premenstrual phase?

Yes, women with PMS and severe back pain showed much greater muscle tension in their lower back when stressed during the premenstrual phase. This is a small study.

 Early or limited evidence

39 women with or without PMS and premenstrual back pain

## What they did

Researchers studied 39 women in 3 groups across 3 phases of the menstrual cycle. They measured lower back muscle activity while women were exposed to neutral stimuli, induced stressors, and personal stressors.

## What they found

Women with severe PMS and back pain showed significantly higher muscle tension in response to personal stress during the premenstrual phase compared to neutral and induced stressors. Their muscle tension during the premenstrual phase was higher than during their menstrual and intermenstrual phases, and higher than women in the other groups.

## What it means for you

Personal stress may trigger or worsen premenstrual back pain by causing muscle tension. The study was small and measured muscle response rather than pain experience itself.

39

women studied

3

groups

3

menstrual phases

## About the study

Original title The premenstrual syndrome: psychophysiologic concomitants of perceived stress and low back pain Authors Dickson-Parnell B, Zeichner A Journal Pain Year 1988 Study design Randomised trial Participants 3 What was tested None - observational study of muscle response to stress Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(88)90161-3](https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(88)90161-3)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)

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