Although statistics show that chronic pain affects more women, women are more questioned about their pain

For the interventional pain physician, Dr. Amelie Falconi, this happens because there is a difference in the evaluation of pain care between the sexes

Have you ever stopped to reflect on the aspects that still limit women and prevent them from being treated more fairly towards men? For the Interventional Pain Physician, Dr. Amelia Falconiin this sense, it is worth discussing women’s relationship with pain and showing how, although they are, in general, more susceptible to this physical suffering than men, they are still victims of many prejudices regarding diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Amelie explains that research has consistently shown gender differences in chronic pain, such as perception, description and expression, use of coping strategies, and benefits of different treatments. There are compelling findings that biological differences contribute to observed differences between the sexes.

Women are asked more about pain; explains the doctor

The interventional physician explains that several reasons can lead women to feel more pain than men, on average. “Genetic factors, including hormonal factors, act as sex-specific pain mediators. Studies show that a woman’s pain response is influenced by her menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and can also be influenced by oral use of contraceptives,” says the doctor.

Estrogen, a hormone essential for female reproductive function, for example, when its levels increase or decrease in the woman’s body, is responsible for the increased excitation of cells. More specifically, estrogen fluctuations can increase neural growth factor expression, the number of excitatory synapses in the hippocampus, glutamate binding to the NMDA receptor, and excitatory postsynaptic potentials.

The doctor points out that women dominate most of the diagnoses related to chronic pain. Second Brazilian Society for the Study of Pain (SBED)women tend to have more pain in the neck and shoulders, abdomen, tension-type headaches, migraines after puberty, TMJ disorder – temporomandibular joint and others.

To give you an idea, the female:male ratio of prevalence of pain conditions is approximately 1.5 to 1 in back, shoulder and knee pain, 2 to 1 in orofacial pain, 2.5 to 1 in migraine ( throbbing pain affecting the side of the head) and 4 to 1 in fibromyalgia, a chronic disease whose main symptom is constant pain throughout the body.

Although chronic pain is more common and more intense in women, Dr. Amelie points out that women tend to minimize their painful ailments from society more often than men. “Many times I have heard, even from specialized doctors, that a certain patient’s pain was ‘fresh’ or psychological and that the patient’s intention was to attract attention, both from her husband and children, and from other people” , relationships.

Dr. Amelie points out that the difference in the patient’s approach compared to men has already been demonstrated, including by a scientific study. Interventional Pain Physician reports that a review article brought up 77 articles in the literature dealing with men and women with pain, gender norms, and gender biases in pain management.

“The survey observed a paradox: although chronic pain is more prevalent and more intense in women, women’s pain reports are taken less seriously, their pain is discounted as psychic or non-existent, and their treatment is less adequate than what is given to men” relationships. As a result of this disdain, according to the review article, women are often medicated with more antidepressants and fewer pain relievers.

“This article exposes the issue of machismo in pain management. It is well known that chronic pain affects more women, because when they come to the office and complain about the pain, they are quickly labeled as emotionally weak”ends.

Source: Terra

Rose

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