Author: Christy A. Mannino
Estrogens and progestins have been among the most
widely prescribed drugs. Evidence suggests changes in levels of the
ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone may play a role in the pain experience as women make the transition into menopause and begin a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimen. Menopause and HRT effects on pain and analgesia are now being studied clinically and in experimental pain models. Estrogens are active peripherally, spinally, and centrally, and have physiological effects separate from those involved in stimulating the female reproductive system and modulating sexual behavior. For example, they can regulate sensory
neuronal survival and stimulate synaptic…
