About 55% of U.S. adults report chronic pain in the last three months. It is one of the most common reasons for seeing a physician. However, more women than men are seeking treatment for chronic pain. In fact, women experience more frequent and longer lasting pain than men. But why are women more likely to develop chronic pain? We asked our providers to weigh in on the gender gap with chronic pain.
"Women tend to pay more attention to their physical conditions than men. Women often recognize when something is wrong and seek care quickly. We know from survey data that 25% of men report waiting as long as they can before seeing a health care professional. To this end, three times more men than woman reported not seeing a physician in the last 12-months. Men tend to neglect their health care needs," shared Dr. Paez, M.D.
While differences in accessing care can impact chronic pain, Dr. Saranita, D.O. shares there are also hormonal differences that contribute to chronic pain differences in men and women. Dr. Saranita shares, "Studies have shown prior to puberty, there are no big differences in how painful conditions conditions are experienced between boys and girls. However, after puberty, the differences are quite pronounced. After puberty, women are two to six times more likely to develop chronic conditions such as headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia."
Dr. Saranita adds, "The pain experience in women tends to increase when estrogen levels are low and progesterone levels are high, which coincides with the second half of the menstrual cycle. There are evolutionary benefits to this, pain levels are lowest during pregnancy when estrogen levels are the highest, making pregnancy more comfortable given all of the body changes."
Dr. Paez and Dr. Saranita agree that while both men and women experience pain differently, it is critical to work with your health care team and not to dismiss your pain experience. If you have been living with pain for more than a few months, if you have a chronic illness/condition or if your pain is worsening it is time to see a pain management physician who specializes in restoring health and lessening pain.
