Additionally, they experience pain more frequently, for a longer time, in more places, and even more intensely.

Compared to men, women exhibit higher sensitivity to painful stimuli in lab settings and are more likely to develop a number of chronic pain conditions.

Numerous studies have shown that men and women perceive and experience acute and chronic pain in different ways.

Let’s find out why.

Why do men and women feel pain in such different ways?

These gender-based differences in pain are a result of a variety of biopsychosocial mechanisms, such as sex hormones, endogenous opioid function, genetics, pain coping and catastrophizing, and gender roles.

Men and women’s bodies and brains react to pain in different ways, even though we aren’t aware of all the factors that influence how pain feels.

Women may be more sensitive to pain due to hormones. Additionally, women have more nerves per square inch of their bodies than men do, which may make them more sensitive to pain.

Women have up to twice as many nerves per square centimeter and more nerves equal more discomfort.

Women averaged 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter of facial skin while men only averaged 17 nerve fibers.^[1]

In addition, women are more likely than men to worry about pain and feel helpless about it, as well as be depressed or anxious, all of which can result in more intense pain.

Many people are unaware that some types of pain are more common in women than in men.  Whether it be fibromyalgia, endometriosis, or migraine. 

For instance, fibromyalgia, a condition marked by persistent, widespread pain, is much more common in women (80–90% of diagnosed cases are female).

It may be possible to lessen suffering for both genders if more research is done to understand why men and women experience pain differently.

More pain but less treated?

Biases based on gender exist with regard to how women experience pain. 

These prejudices have caused healthcare professionals to undervalue women’s self-reports of pain, at least until there is conclusive proof of the source of the pain.

Women are much more likely than men to be prescribed sedatives rather than pain relievers when they are in pain.

However, men are less likely to receive a diagnosis of chronic pain at the doctor’s office because many healthcare providers consider it to be a “women’s illness” and may be hesitant to diagnose men with it. 

Men are generally treated more seriously than women when it comes to health complaints. 

Even though women are more likely to report pain to a healthcare professional, their reports are more likely to be dismissed as “emotional” or “psychogenic” and thus “not real.”^[2]

Only those patients with a diagnosis, which validates a person’s experience, are given legitimacy by modern medicine. 

Although making diagnoses is an important part of medical care, the main objective is to reduce suffering.

Conclusion

Since pain is fundamentally a subjective experience, there are numerous variables that can affect how much suffering a patient experiences.

Regardless of gender, chronic pain is very real and incapacitating.

Being aware of how our bodies process pain will lead to appropriate treatments. 

These treatments should be tailored to give optimal results for each individual, whether a woman or a man.

Treatment must also be individualized to meet the needs of each patient because pain is a very personal experience that only the person experiencing it can truly understand.

An approach that considers the whole person is essential to effectively manage chronic pain in women. 

A more holistic, multidisciplinary approach to pain management is required for both men and women because pain is frequently one component of the bigger picture.