03 Jun Pain – Men & Women – It’s the same right?
Interesting research article recently looking at pain perceptions in both Men and Women. In the past, there has been some conflicting research on the subject, but this seems to have been a little different.
It was based on 10,000 people who had had cardiac or abdominal operations. It was based over a four year time period. Overall, the analysis showed there was no difference in overall pain levels after operations.
However, when the researchers looked at the severity of the operation, a pattern emerged. It seems that Men felt more pain after major ops versus Women, who in turn, felt more pain after more minor procedures.
A question often asked by patients here at Openhealth Clinic, is who presents more, Men or Women? I have always replied that Men can often be lazy, bury their heads in the sand and just assume their body will recover from their chronic lower back pain given time. I have then praised Women, explaining that they appear to have a better body awareness. They know when things aren’t right, and are keen to seek treatment earlier on. Within a matter of days, a woman would tend to appear with say, an acute shoulder injury. I also offered the concept that possibly dealing with menstrual cycle from a young age on a monthly basis, might increase said body awareness.
Looking at this interesting research, it could appear to be very much neurological, although it is acknowledged there are also psychological factors involved.
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