Women taking the pill are less likely to suffer from musculoskeletal disorders than those not using these medications.
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a set of conditions of the musculoskeletal system which manifest themselves as pain and functional discomfort.
- Women taking the pill are less likely to develop them after an injury than those not taking contraception and men.
- According to the authors, synthetic sex hormones can reduce the risk of musculotendinous injuries in female patients.
Joints, tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves… These are the parts of the body affected by musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). This set of conditions of the musculoskeletal system manifests itself by pain and discomfort in movements which, without preventive measures, can ultimately lead to incapacity at work and in daily life, depending on the Ministry of Health. In general, professional activity frequently plays a role in their occurrence, maintenance or worsening. However, hobbies, such as gardening, DIY, playing sports, can also cause them to appear. Another possible cause: a sedentary lifestyle.
42,267 patients suffering from orthopedic injuries
Recently, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center (United States) revealed that taking oral contraceptives could reduce these conditions of the musculoskeletal system. To reach this conclusion, they carried out a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. “Current literature suggests a disparity in the incidence of musculotendinous injuries between men and women. This may be attributed to inherent biological differences between the sexes, such as sexual hormonal background, but information is lacking.” , they wrote. Thus, the team wanted to characterize the effect of sex and the influence of pill use on musculotendinous lesions.
Using the National Health Care Database, scientists explored a body of information on orthopedic injuries. They compared the percentage of musculoskeletal disorders involving the lower extremities with the total number of orthopedic injuries among men, among women who had been prescribed oral contraceptives at least a year before their injury and who had still been prescribed the pill after their injury, and in women not taking contraception. In total, 42,267 people aged 18 to 39, whose body mass index was normal or overweight, were included in the work.
Musculoskeletal disorders: fewer cases among women taking the pill
According to the results, 1,476 cases of musculoskeletal disorders were recorded in the male group, 1,078 in patients not using contraception and 231 in women taking the pill. The authors noted more stable hormone concentrations from taking oral contraceptives compared to hormonal fluctuations without the pill in women.
“Data indicate that maintaining stable levels of endogenous hormones through the pill, or exposure to synthetic hormones in oral contraceptives, may confer protective benefits against musculotendinous injuries in women. This understanding is promising for the development of targeted preventive strategies and interventions to reduce the risk of injury in women, for the benefit of athletic and non-athletic populations”, concluded Luis Rodriguezlead author of the research.
