Research suggests that women have more chronic pain than men. Learn tips for communicating about your pain to get relief you need.
Throbbing. Burning. Aching. Stinging. Stabbing. There are many ways to describe pain — and many ways it can affect your life.
About 20% of Americans have chronic pain. Sometimes the cause of the pain can be seen. (Think: a broken leg on an X-ray.) But other times, pain comes from an injury or illness that may not be visible or even known to the patient. And unfortunately, pain seems to play favorites.
“It’s clear that the burden of pain is greater for women than for men,” says psychologist Roger Fillingim, PhD. He’s director of the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence at the University of Florida. Studies suggest that women suffer from chronic pain more often than men. And they report a higher number of pain sites on their bodies.
Despite how common pain is, healthcare providers tend to underestimate and undertreat pain in just about everyone. But especially in women.
For example, in a study, clinicians were asked to rate the level of pain in male and female patients. They were much more likely to think the women’s pain was less than the men’s. They also thought women were exaggerating their symptoms more often. As a result, they were less likely to suggest treatment for the women.
“It’s unclear how aware providers are that they hold these biases,” says Fillingim. “But I’m pretty confident they are at least part of what’s driving the disparities in pain treatment.”
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Research on this topic is still in its early stages. But differences in these three things likely play a role:
For example, pain from menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth affects women in years when many men may be pain-free. And more women than men have anxiety and depression. Both conditions raise the risk of having chronic pain.
“When you feel anxious, it puts you into fight or flight mode,” says Daniel Ginn, DO. Dr. Ginn specializes in pelvic pain. He’s a clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “That trapped, scared feeling enhances physical pain,” he adds.
Women are also more likely to talk about their pain. And they’re more likely to seek help for it. In response, healthcare providers may decide that women are feeling things as painful that shouldn’t be painful.
Frustrating interactions such as these can cause a vicious cycle: Undertreated women want to be taken seriously. So they may exaggerate their pain to the next doctor they see. That can then lead to more bias against women in healthcare workers.
But you don’t have to keep suffering. Try the following tips to improve your odds of getting the pain relief you need.
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Diagnosing a pain condition takes great attention to detail. See if you can book an extra-long session. If that’s not possible, ask if you can split the task into three appointments to:
Make sure you book the appointment specifically for pain. And don’t try to tack it onto your annual physical. There isn’t enough time at a physical to fully address pain. Trying to cram it in could result in it being treated as a minor issue or an afterthought.
Pain is often caused by a combination of issues, not a single event, says Dr. Ginn. A doctor can more easily diagnose you if they have:
Be sure to write the history before your appointment. It helps you remember all the details. More information helps your doctor connect the dots.
Have a friend or family member you trust? Bring them along to your appointment. They can take notes and offer support.
Are you feeling that you won’t be taken seriously due to your sex or race? Say so at the beginning of your appointment.
“I always appreciate when a patient says, ‘I want to tell you upfront, I have not felt like I’ve had good connections with doctors before because they didn’t listen to me or didn’t respect my story.’ I take a lot of stock in that,” says Dr. Ginn.
The more specific you can be about what hurts, the more likely your doctor will be able to help. Try not to motion with an open hand over a general body part. Instead, use your pointer finger to show your doctor exactly where the pain feels worst.
Then use as many descriptive words as you can to explain yourself. Is the pain constant? Does it come and go? Is it sharp? Is it stabbing? Is it dull?
It’s normal to feel nervous about discussing certain topics, such as pain during sex. Worry also leads some patients to not share all their symptoms. For example, if they think their pain is a sign of cancer, they might not want to hear the diagnosis. Some patients also feel shy about taking up too much of a doctor’s time.
Do your best to push past these hurdles. Speak freely for however long it takes.
It’s always a good idea to start with your primary care provider or your OB-GYN. But remember that it’s okay to ask for a referral to a specialist. That’s especially true if you don’t feel your pain has been addressed.
Article sources:
Chronic pain statistic: Pain
Chronic pain background: StatPearls
Study on rating the level of pain: Pain
Providers’ judgment about chronic pain study: Pain
