Some women begin to have pain around the time of ovulation which continues until the beginning of their menstrual cycle. The pain can either be barely noticeable or so severe that the woman cannot wear tight-fitting clothing or tolerate close contact of any kind. The pain may be felt in only one breast or may be felt as a radiating sensation in the under-arm region. Some physicians have women chart their breast pain to determine if the pain is cyclical or not. After a few months, the relationship between the menstrual cycle and breast pain will emerge.
Physicians continue to study the role that hormones play in cyclical mastalgia.
One study has suggested that some women with cyclical mastalgia have a decreased ratio of progesterone to estrogen in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Other studies have found that an abnormality in the hormone prolactin may affect breast pain. Hormones can also affect cyclical breast pain as a result of stress - breast pain can increase or change its pattern with the hormone changes that occur during times of stress. Many physicians believe that a combination of hormonal activity and something in the breast that responds to this activity may hold the answer. However, more research is necessary in order to draw this conclusion.