Why women experience more chronic pain than men

The fight against pain may have a new player in its ranks – gender. The findings from a recent study indicate that men and women resort to different biological mechanisms for pain relief. But what does this mean?

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has unmasked an intriguing reality – pain management is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

The way men and women experience and combat pain varies significantly, pointing to key biological differences in their responses.

Gender differences in pain management

Men tend to rely on the release of endogenous opioids, which are the body’s natural pain relievers. These substances act similarly to prescription opioids like morphine, binding to opioid receptors in the brain to dampen the perception of pain.

In contrast, women appear to utilize alternative, non-opioid pathways. These channels bypass the body’s opioid system entirely, meaning that the pain relief mechanisms at play in women may be less reliant on the body’s internal opioids.

This finding suggests there is a biological reason for why women might not respond as well to opioid-based treatments.

The research highlights a major distinction in how pain relief strategies should be tailored based on gender, potentially altering the way we approach pain management altogether.

Opioids may not help women in pain

Powerful synthetic opioid drugs such as morphine and fentanyl are the leading painkillers at our disposal today.

By adhering to the same receptors as endogenous opioids, these synthetic molecules pack a potent punch. However, this characteristic also primes them for a high risk of addiction.

One of the profound peculiarities of opioid therapy is the subpar response exhibited by women.

“Dependence develops because people start taking more opioids when their original dosage stops working,” explained Dr. Fadel Zeidan, an expert at the UC San Diego Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.

“Although speculative, our findings suggest that maybe one reason that females are more likely to become addicted to opioids is that they’re biologically less responsive to them and need to take more to experience any pain relief.”

A new approach to pain management

The research was based on data from two clinical trials consisting of 98 participants, including healthy individuals and chronic lower back pain sufferers.

According to Dr. Zeidan, the results underscore the need for more sex-specific pain therapies, because many of the treatments we use do not work nearly as well for women as they do for men.

The implications of the study are immense. For one, the findings could revolutionize the way we approach pain management.

Tailoring treatment to an individual’s gender could improve patient outcomes and decrease opioid reliance and misuse.

After all, it is clear disparities exist in pain management between genders, and these results provide the first tangible evidence that sex-based differences in pain processing need to be considered more seriously when developing and prescribing treatment for pain.

Pain treatment for women

This research highlights a crucial issue that’s been overlooked in healthcare – how men and women experience pain differently. Traditionally, pain treatments have followed a standardized approach, but this study suggests a shift in thinking is needed.

If men and women utilize different biological pathways for pain relief, it stands to reason they might need distinct treatments. The findings also explain why women have a greater prevalence of chronic pain.

For women, who appear less responsive to opioids, exploring alternative methods that align with their unique pain pathways becomes important. Options like anti-inflammatory drugs, nerve blockers, or innovative approaches like mindfulness-based pain management could offer better results.

Furthermore, the study points out a pressing concern: women might face a higher risk of opioid addiction due to the need for larger doses to achieve pain relief. This insight could shed light on the alarming rates of opioid misuse among women.

As we move forward, it’s evident that doctors will need to carefully consider painkiller prescriptions, possibly adopting gender-specific guidelines to safeguard women from the risks of dependency.

The study is published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

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