Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Women are More Sensitive to Pain

When it comes to rating pain, it turns out that women are more sensitive than men are.

New research from Stanford University suggests that women seem to suffer more from pain, whether it's back pain or a sinus infection.

It is estimated that chronic pain affects more than 116 million Americans, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The pain study involved doctors asking patients to rate their pain on a list from zero (for no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable).

Taken from the article from The New York Times, "For 21 of 22 ailments with sample sizes large enough to make a meaningful comparison, the researchers found that women reported higher levels of pain than men. For back pain, women reported a score of 6.03, men 5.53. For joint and inflammatory pain, it was women 6.00, men 4.93. Women reported significantly higher pain levels with diabetes, hypertension, ankle injuries and even sinus infections."

In several diagnoses, women's rates were usually higher than men's by at least one point. Overall, their rates were 20 percent higher, which is considered a clinically meaningful difference.

To read the whole article, click here.

4 comments:

  1. Back pain is indeed more common in women than men especially during pregnancy. I usually visit my chiropractor Melbourne for regular check up.

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  2. I agree with the previous comment. Pregnancy back pain is common especially during the second and the third trimester. Anyway, whatever the cause of pain is, it is important for the individual to consult his doctor whenever possible to determine the root cause of the pain.

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  3. This is very great thing you have shared with us. Now I found enough resources by your tips about this issue, Thank you.

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  4. It is indeed true that back pain is common among pregnant women. This is due to pressure and gravity. It is essential to do some relaxation exercises to alleviate pain. However, in case of severe pain, it is also very important to consult your OB-GYNE to ensure proper management.

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