In a huge study analysing the self-reported pain data of over 6 million people has found that women experience more pain on average than men do in 11 body parts.
Speaking to Medical News Today, author Matt Fillingim, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University in Montreal, Canada said: “The difference probably reflects a combination of biological and social factors, including sex hormones, immune function, nervous-system pain processing, stress, reproductive burdens, occupational exposures, healthcare use, and differences in how symptoms are reported.”
The areas where women reported more pain than men
According to the study, women experience more pain in the head, face, neck and shoulder area, hand and wrist area, elbows, foot and ankle sites, the knees, the chest, the back, abdominal area, and the hips. The highest prevalence was for back pain, at 40%.
Shuchita Garg, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Department of Anesthesia/Division of Chronic Pain, and the medical director of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Pain Clinic commented on the findings.
She said: “The reasons why women have a higher prevalence of pain are complicated and include biological, hormonal, and psychosocial elements, the greatest differences being found in the case of facial and abdominal pain, headaches as well as in instances of severe symptoms.
“The differences are greatest in the case of migraine, temporomandibular, and visceral pain — conditions which correspond with the reproductive years. It is believed that pubertal development and sex hormones cause the difference between adolescent boys and girls.”
Interestingly, pain across all the studied anatomical sites, across genders, increased in prevalence most rapidly before the age of 55.
Quite astounding, then, that women’s pain still isn’t taken seriously.
It’s worth noting that men are less likely to report pain
While this report offers damning facts about the pain women experience, it’s also worth noting that in the UK at least, men are less likely to report pain or get much-needed treatment for symptoms than women are.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care: “Evidence shows that across the NHS Health Check, a cardiovascular disease prevention programme, men are less likely to attend a health check (45.3%) compared with women (54.7%).
“As a result, fewer men than women are provided with the necessary advice, signposting and onward referral available through the NHS Health Check to manage and reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and some forms of dementia.”
If you are experiencing pain, seek treatment
If you are experiencing chronic or unexplained pain, speak to your GP or pharmacist for support. There is no shame in getting the treatment that you need and it could even prevent worsening of symptoms.
Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon advises being as specific as possible when explaining your symptoms, explaining that instead of saying something like “I get dizzy a lot”, you should instead go into detail with phrasing such as “I get dizzy when I stand up, especially in the morning. It’s worse after eating or after I’ve been sitting for a long period of time.”
If there are times that your pain is worse or anything that exacerbates it, be sure to note this to your GP.
