疼痛經驗和疼痛處置的性別差異

Gender Differences in Pain Experience and Pain Management

Gender-related differences in the experiences of both experimentally induced and clinical pain have been widely reported. Several chronic pain conditions are more prevalent among women than among men such as migraine, tension headache, rheumatoid arthritis, temporomandibular disorders, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Many experimental studies demonstrate that women have lower pain thresholds and poorer tolerances than men. In most epidemiological researches, women are more likely to report a variety of temporary and persistent pains than men in addition to monopolistically moderate or severe pains from menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. Women have more frequent pain in several body sites, report greater painrelated affective symptoms, and are more easily disabled by pain. In addition, women have provided higher pain ratings after orthopedic surgery. Gender differences are also seen in chronic pain severity. Kimble et al. demonstrated few gender differences in chronic stable angina characteristics but women reported greater physical limitation secondary to angina symptoms than men. All of the above findings are likely complex responses to interrelated physiologic, cognitive, perceptual, and psychosocial factors.