Women’s Health and Chronic Pain

Allison Bailey, MD

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Boston, Massachusetts

Significant differences in the pain responses of men and women have been reported. Females appear to be at greater risk for experiencing pain-related symptoms, and certain pain conditions, such as pelvic pain and fibromyalgia, are more prevalent among women. Additionally, compared with men, women have lower thresholds for most experimentally induced pain modalites. Gonadal hormones play an important role in pain and analgesic responses; fluctuating hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle correspond to changes in pain thresholds. Emerging evidence also indicates significant differences between the sexes in nociceptive processing. An improved understanding of these and other sex- and gender-related differences may enhance clinical pain management.

References

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Fillingim RB, Ness TJ. Sex-related hormonal influences on pain and analgesic responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2000;24(4):485-501.

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