Women: One More Reason Not To Stress Out

Women, don't let this news stress you out, but a new study has found that stress can lead to increased pain during menstrual cycles.
The study, published in a recent issue of the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, tracked 388 young women, ages 20- to 34-years-old, through over 1,000 menstual cycles. According to the study, approximately 44 percent of the participants noted having painful periods, characterized by at least two days of abdominal or low-back pain during a cycle.
Reseachers found that those women with high stress levels during the preceding month were 2.4 times as likely to have a painful period during the following cycle compared to their low stress counterparts. And women that reported having medium stress levels were 1.2 times as likely to have a painful period during the following cycle. The researchers suggested that women with painful menstrual cycles should try to reduce the stress in their lives.
If you are a woman that suffers from painful periods, ask your doctor of chiropractic to recommend a treatment plan. Routine chiropractic care not only helps with pain relief, but also facilitates stress relief. For more information on women's health, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/women.
Reference: Wang L. Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Dec 2004;61: 1021-1026.