Women More Sensitive to Pain Than Men

healthday.com ^

[chance33_98]

Women More Sensitive to Pain Than Men

But study didn't find any racial differences in pain thresholds

THURSDAY, April 1 (HealthDayNews) -- Blacks and whites have about the same sensitivity to pain, but women appear to be more sensitive to it than men.

That's what Duke University researchers report in the April issue of the Journal of Pain.

"Many pain medications are addictive and have unpleasant side effects, so it's important for physicians to be able to understand exactly how much pain their patients are experiencing," lead researcher and psychologist Dr. Tavis Campbell said in a prepared statement.

He conducted the study while at Duke; he's now at the University of Calgary in Canada.

"This research supports well-established findings of slightly higher sensitivity to pain among women compared to men, but revealed no difference between whites and African-Americans," Campbell said.

Previous research and anecdotal evidence have suggested blacks are more sensitive to pain than whites. Campbell suggested pain assessment procedures may be responsible for such racial differences in pain sensitivity.

His study included 76 men and 59 women aged 25 to 45; 72 were black, the rest white. A blood pressure cuff was inflated on the arm of each study participant and left inflated for several minutes. That created an aching sensation. The participants rated their pain according to standard pain rating scales, which gauge both the intensity and the unpleasantness of the pain.

[mass55th]

"You are built to do it. It really can't be as bad as you think."

Tell that to a woman whose given breech birth.

[cupcakes]

It's the same with labor pains. Some are worse than others
____

AMEN. Some are parading around their natural childbirth like all women experience the same feelings or something. It could not be further from the truth. when someone brags about getting through the pain of childbirth non-medicated I always want to tell them to get back to me after they have experienced labor in my body;-)

[onyx]

we need the time to drink





YES! Finally, an honest man.

[annyokie]

Yup. Just me misreading-------AGAIN.

[Miss Marple]

No, I am not saying my anecdotal evidence is better than yours. I am only stating my experience, which, after all, is not universal.

I amstating my opinion based on my experience, just as you are on yours. Neither is really valid. Both allow us to express what we thing is the rightful opinion. However...neither of us really has the answer.

[Arpege92]

"Women die during childbirth despite having 'all the parts'. Don't be an ass."

He can't help it....men are built to be an ass!;-}

[NYC GOP Chick]

I don't think so -- just that you were telling us a *little* more than we really need to know! ;D

[ArrogantBustard]

You mean I'm not a Grade "A" Jerk?

Shucks. I'll have to try harder...

;'}

[freedumb2003]

Off to work the next morning. Ten steps, stop to rest. Ten steps, rest. Hurts like holy hell.

Quite simple -- get help or you will die. Had a HA about a year ago -- I was able to joke with the ambulance attendance while that damn elephant sat on my chest hitting me with a sledge hammer from time to time.

There are no exceptions to the rule -- you have a blockage and it will kill you if you do not get treatement. You cannot guts your way through it. That is misplaced machismo.

[onyx]

You mean I'm not a Grade "A" Jerk?
Shucks. I'll have to try harder...

;'}




Man, are you one of them that likes pain? :)

[cupcakes]

I absolutely disagree. Pain thresholds, just like nerve sensitivity is very individual. You are making the same mistake Ms. Marple did and forgetting the MAJORITY of us who still use pain medication during labor. Apparently, quite a few women have "low pain thresholds" too if that is the argument you both are making, in fact the majority of us since if I remember correctly it is still a fair number of women who take some kind of relief when in labor, more so then deliver without the aid of medication.

[annyokie]

Quite true. My friends's dad was so afraid to admit that he had pain, that he nearly died of a burst appendix.

[woofie]

I also had a major heart attack...I thought I had the flue

[GailA]

Men might equate child brith pain better if you explain that it is more like a knee in the groin. My first labor was 3 days, second 6 hours, 3 & 4 were C-sections. Only tylenol afterwards. Had an abssed tooth last year and had to have it removed. Only took tylenol. Then my jaw locked up on me due to muscle strain because it took the dentist over an hour to get the tooth out. Took 6 weeks before it gradually wore off.

[ArrogantBustard]

Dude, stoicism has its place. Sometimes pain is just a thing of the mind.

And sometimes it's Nature's way of saying GET HELP RIGHT FRIGGIN' NOW!!!!

I think you're dealing with the latter case. But I'm no physician ...

[Miss Marple]

You know, I am not castigating you because you needed pain medication during labor. I happen to have had very quick labors, and if my labor had been protracted, I might have wanted medication, too. When I had my wisdom teeth out, I thought I would have preferred going through labor and delivery rather than endure the pain of the extractions.

My whole point is that this is not a reliable study. There are many variables both between individuals, and between incidences of pain for each individual.

I am not saying that you are a wuss, nor am I sying that I am a Spartan. I am simply relating my own experience, which doesn't necessarily coincide with yours.

[Arpege92]

"Men might equate child birth pain better if you explain that it is more like a knee in the groin."

It would have to be a constant knee in the groin for men to really understand child birth.

[cupcakes]

Damn, am I glad I started birthing children today and not 60 years ago;-) From my experience, yes, women who birth nowadays naturally do expect a medal and will remind everyone in earshot of the fact that they have accomplished such an amazing feat--it is only anectdotal evidence though;-)

[LisaMalia]

Tell that to a woman whose given breech birth.

I'll do you one better. My daughter was "posterior", born a little over 25 years ago. That means she was turned right side up instead of face down.

My regular OB/GYN was on vacation, so a foreign doctor was on call for him, and after examining me, told me what he was going to do. I couldn't understand a word he was saying, but I soon found out.

The next thing I knew he, was actually "reaching in" and turning my daughter. Whew!

I've been through some painfully stuff in my day (large herniated disk, gallstone stuck in my bile duct, and giving birth to my second child, my son who weighed in at almost 10 lbs.).

But having a baby turned while still inside you was the worst! Of course, it was worth every second of the pain once I saw my beautiful daughter.

[cupcakes]

My husband said Ms. Marple's husband was just being resourceful;-)