Pain is a universal human experience but the perception of pain varies significantly between individuals, particularly between men and women. Women’s health expert and author Marla Ahlgrimm explains that this difference impacts how women are treated by their healthcare providers.
Research suggests that women experience pain differently than men, and their bodies process both pain and pain medication uniquely. While Marla Ahlgrimm believes more research is needed, she emphasizes the importance of treating women differently than their male counterparts regarding pain management.
As a retired pharmacist and women’s health advocate, Marla Ahlgrimm stresses recognizing gender-based differences in all areas of women’s health. Women are not simply small men, she states. Their fluctuating hormones, body composition, and even social experiences influence how they experience pain, and how their minds and bodies respond to pain medication.
Several factors contribute to how pain medication affects women differently, including hormonal influence, body composition, metabolic differences, pain sensitivity, and social and psychological factors.
Marla Ahlgrimm explains that women’s fluctuating hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, play a significant role in pain perception and sensitivity. These and other hormones influence how the body processes pain signals and responds to pain medication.
Body composition is another key factor. Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men of the same age and comparable size. This fat distribution can lead to higher concentrations of pain medication in the bloodstream. Furthermore, a woman’s metabolic rate (how her body processes and eliminates pain medication) influences the duration and intensity of a medication’s effect.
Studies suggest that women have a lower pain threshold and a higher pain tolerance compared to men, says Marla Ahlgrimm. This means women may perceive pain more intensely but can endure it for longer periods. This might explain why women can handle the pain of childbirth, while men often struggle with even simulated childbirth pain.
Marla Ahlgrimm also points to social and psychological influences that may affect how a woman’s body perceives pain. Women tend to be more susceptible to conditions like migraines and fibromyalgia, and may develop coping mechanisms for pain more readily than men.
Marla Ahlgrimm acknowledges that pain is ultimately subjective. There is no definitive test to prove that women and men experience pain differently. However, evidence, even anecdotal, suggests that women’s hormones and body composition can and do play a role in pain perception.
Marla Ahlgrimm advises those concerned about chronic pain or pain management to consult their primary healthcare physician. With proper treatment and a supervised pain regimen, women can often find relief.
Marla Ahlgrimm has co-authored two ground-breaking books,