Women Feel More Pain Than Men, Research Shows

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Source: University Of Bath Date: 2005-07-05

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/07/050705004113.htm

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Women Feel More Pain Than Men, Research Shows

Scientists investigating gender differences in pain have found that not only do

women report more pain throughout the course of their lifetime, they also

experience it in more bodily areas, more often and for longer duration when

compared to men.

There also seem to be differences in how men and women think and feel

about their pain. For example, anxiety may affect men and women in different

ways, and the strategies used to cope with pain may actually make their

experience worse.

These conclusions are based on several studies into the pain response of

volunteers exposed to a pain stimulus, such as a cold water bath, as well as

field studies in clinics and hospitals.

" Until fairly recently it was controversial to suggest that there were any

differences between males and females in the perception and experience of

pain, but that is no longer the case, " said Dr Ed Keogh a psychologist from the

Pain Management Unit at the University of Bath*.

" Research is telling us that women experience a greater number of pain

episodes across their lifespan than men, in more bodily areas and with

greater frequency.

" Unfortunately all too often the differences between males and females are

not considered in pain research or practice, and instead are either ignored or

statistically averaged. "

There remains much discussion in the scientific community about why these

gender differences in pain exist.

" While most explanations concentrate on biological mechanisms, such as

genetic and hormonal differences, it is becoming increasingly clear that social

and psychological factors are also important, " said Dr Keogh.

One example of this is the different strategies men and women use to cope

with pain. Whilst women tend to focus on the emotional aspects of pain they

experience, men tend to focus on the sensory aspects, for example

concentrating on the physical sensations they experience.

" Our research has shown that whilst the sensory-focused strategies used by

men helped increase their pain threshold and tolerance of pain, it was

unlikely to have any benefit for women, " said Dr Keogh.

" Women who concentrate on the emotional aspects of their pain may actually

experience more pain as a result, possibly because the emotions associated

with pain are negative. "

To carry out this research, scientists asked volunteers to place their non-

dominant arm in a warm water bath (37 degrees centigrade) for two minutes

before transferring the hand into an ice water bath maintained at a

temperature of 1 - 2 degrees centigrade.

The cold pressor tank allows researchers to monitor the pain threshold (the

point at which volunteers first notice the pain) and pain tolerance (the point

at

which volunteers can no longer stand the pain). An upper time limit of two

minutes is used in these kinds of studies.

Other research by the Pain Management Unit has looked at the relationship

between gender differences in anxiety sensitivity and pain. Anxiety sensitivity

is the tendency to be fearful of anxiety-related sensations (e.g., rapidly

beating heat), and seems to be important in the experience of pain

sensations. In a study of 150 patients referred to a hospital clinic with chest

pain, researchers discovered that the factors that predicted pain in men and

women were different.

Researchers believe that it is the fear of anxiety-related sensations and an

increased tendency to negatively interpret such sensations, both of which are

more predominant in women than men that influences women's experiences

of pain.

" Chest pain is associated with coronary heart disease, angina and heart

attacks, so it is understandable that chest pain is a cause of great anxiety for

patients and that anxiety has an important role in the experience of chest

pain, " said Dr Keogh.

" This research is also consistent with studies that suggest that men and

women experience chest pain in different ways and that, compared to men,

women can sometimes report more intensive pain and nausea. "

Another study has shown that interdisciplinary approaches to pain

management may have different effects on women than men.

Working with the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath,

researchers from the Pain Management Unit carried out assessments on 98

patients in chronic pain as they went through a pain management programme

involving physiotherapy, psychological treatments and occupational therapy.

Whilst both men and women exhibited a significant reduction in pain intensity

both during and immediately after the programme, three months later women

reported the same levels of pain as pre-treatment, whereas men's remained

the same as immediately post-treatment. Interestingly, there were

improvements in disability, in both sexes, which were maintained at follow-up.

This suggested that there may also be important differences in pain

experiences and improvements in disability.

" Gender can be profitably examined as a potential predictor of pain

experience, and in particular, pain following treatment, but it is too early to

say

exactly how gender-specific interventions can be tailored to address these

potentially important differences, " said Dr Keogh.

" However, evidence is certainly converging to suggest that accounting for

greater differences may increase the overall effectiveness of treatments. "