Imagine this: you’re jolted awake in the dead of night, disoriented and feeling a sharp, relentless pain radiating through your lower abdomen. Glancing at the clock, it’s only 3 a.m., but you already know the culprit. Your period has arrived—along with the familiar, sometimes debilitating cramps that will have you reaching for ibuprofen every few hours just to make it through the day. For as high as 45-95% of people who menstruate, this monthly pain feels inevitable, with studies showing that dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological conditions. In this post, we’ll explore the biomechanics of period cramps, diving into what’s causing that pain, how your muscles and nerves are involved, and ways to find relief.
Continue reading “Cramping My Style: The Biomechanics Behind Period Pain”Tag: gender
New Hope for Pelvic Floor Health: Models and Scaffolds
About 30% of women worldwide experience Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD), the failure of the pelvic floor muscles. PFD is often caused by childbirth and pregnancy, and it significantly impacts the quality of life for many women, highlighting the need for scientific solutions.
Continue reading “New Hope for Pelvic Floor Health: Models and Scaffolds”Runner’s Knee: Knee Pain Isn’t Just for Old People
Don’t knee problems only plague old people or people who have run for a lifetime? I questioned this when, for the seventh time in a row, my knee was hurting only a mile and a half into my run. I’m too young for this! However, a plethora of information suggests that knee pain is perhaps not so uncommon in younger runners and athletes as I thought.
Continue reading “Runner’s Knee: Knee Pain Isn’t Just for Old People”Women in Endurance Athletics: The Further, the Faster
In the majority of athletic events, men have long outperformed women. This is due to a combination of factors including physiological differences, societal norms, and legislation. But in the last few decades, there has been a noticeable swing in the realm of endurance athletics. Now more than ever, women are closing the gap with respect to their male counterparts in ultra-long distance races, including running, biking and swimming. In some cases, women are even outperforming men at the elite level, winning a number of top-tier events. So what are the reasons for this changing of the guard, and why is it happening now?
Continue reading “Women in Endurance Athletics: The Further, the Faster”Female Athletes Compete Against Higher Risk of ACL Injuries Than Males
Female athletes face a greater rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture than males. According to Dr. Karen Sutton and Dr. James Bullock from the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale University, female athletes are 2 to 8 times more likely to tear their ACL than male athletes. The majority of these injuries (more than two-thirds) are from non-contact situations. A variety of anatomical, biomechanical, and hormonal factors attempt to explain this difference.
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