Women Feel Chronic Pain More Intensely—Harvard Expert Reveals What Finally Brings Relief
Plus learn about three prescription drugs that may help
Key Takeaways
- Women experience pain differently than men due to variations in immunity and hormones.
- Research shows relaxation techniques and movement can help ease chronic pain.
- Treatments are limited, but medications like gabapentin and Cymbalta may help nerve pain.
Everything else fades away when we’re in pain. The small stresses of daily life stop mattering, and our focus narrows to the discomfort we’re feeling. And make no mistake, that pain is real. Research suggests women tend to experience pain more intensely than men, and while that biological reality can feel discouraging, there are evidence-based strategies that can help calm pain signals, along with medications that may ease chronic pain. Keep reading for expert insights on how to regain a sense of control and improve your quality of life.
Why women are more sensitive to pain
Researchers have been using quantitative sensory testing for years—standardized assessments that measure how people respond to various types of pain stimuli. “You might perceive it as kind of a torture test,” admits Robert N. Jamison, PhD, a professor at Harvard Medical School and clinical psychologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Pain Management Center.
He explains that researchers measure tolerance to heat, cold, pressure and repeated touch. For instance, they might test how long someone can keep their hand in ice water or handle continued probing. The results are striking: “Very consistently, women are much more sensitive than men on all those tests,” Jamison says.
Woman's World Answers
That may sound more than a bit counterintuitive since women bear the most painful experience there is—childbirth—but the research is consistent. In fact, a new study in the journal Science Immunology found that men’s immune systems and testosterone levels may offer them more protection from the impact of chronic pain.
Women also experience more chronic pain conditions overall and are more prone to headaches. They’re also far more likely to have fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread pain and sensitivity throughout the body, Dr. Jamison notes.
How women can tame chronic pain naturally
The first thing Jamison tells people living with chronic pain is deceptively simple yet powerful: This pain is real. It’s not something you’re making up or exaggerating. Here, he shares a few ways to begin taking control and treating chronic pain.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Anxiety helps fuel pain in large part by ratcheting up stress levels. That’s where CBT comes in. The approach has two components, Dr. Jamison explains. The cognitive part addresses how you think about your pain—learning to challenge the worried, worst-case-scenario thoughts that can spiral out of control and make everything feel worse.
“And the behavior is what you do in response to the pain,” he says. “How do you pace yourself? How do you use problem-solving? How do you learn strategies to ensure you’re not making your condition worse?”
“It’s a hard sell, but that’s kind of what I do—help people realize that they have a condition they can help learn to manage,” Jamison says. “Like some people have diabetes, and others have asthma or blood pressure problems. With chronic pain, you have to make some changes, but there are things you can do to really gain some sense of control.”
Part of that control comes from reframing how you talk to yourself about pain. “The goal is to remind your brain that while the pain is real and was once a useful alarm system, it’s not a sign that something is life-threatening,” he says of this effective treatment plan. “With practice, you can learn to work through it rather than letting worry take over.”
Relaxation and activity
There are two main pathways to alleviating pain naturally, and while they may at first seem contradictory, they’re really two sides of the same coin: relaxation and movement. Jamison suggests tapping the first part of that equation through techniques like diaphragmatic breathing (deep belly breathing) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), tensing then releasing certain muscle groups.
Though it’s understandable to be afraid to get moving when you’re in pain—a condition called kinesiophobia—Jamison says a physical therapist can help and encourages setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) to help increase activity levels. For example, you might aim to get active three times a day for 10 minutes each.
Medications that help women ease chronic pain
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of highly effective treatments for chronic pain. But Jamison shares a few medications worth discussing with your healthcare provider:
Opioids
These medications are effective for short-term, acute pain but not recommended for chronic pain because your body develops a tolerance over time, Jamison notes.
Cymbalta or gabapentin
The antidepressant Cymbalta and seizure medication gabapentin have been shown to help ease nerve pain.
The bottom line on chronic pain in women
While women may experience pain more intensely than men, the good news is that they’re also more likely to seek help and benefit from treatment, observes Jamison. By working with a healthcare provider you trust, learning to challenge catastrophic thinking, and finding the right balance of relaxation and movement, you can regain a sense of control over chronic pain.
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