HealthyWomen Raising Profile of Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia isn't typically what comes to mind when you talk about women's health, but about 96% of us who have it are women. On top of that, researchers are learning more about gender differences and pain in general, which point to far more pain problems in women than in men.
The group HealthyWomen, which focuses on many aspects of women's health, is now working to raise awareness of fibromyalgia and chronic pain in women, in the hopes of getting more women properly diagnosed and treated. It has launched a campaign called, "She Said, He Said: Understanding Gender and Pain."
I was able recently to speak with Dr. Leslie Arnold, a psychiatrist specializing in pain-related issues who's involved with HealthyWomen. (Please note: Dr. Arnold does not believe that fibromyalgia is psychologically based or that psychotherapy is a front-line treatment for fibromyalgia.) According to studies, Dr. Arnold says, women have more pain in general, and that difference seems to stem, at least in part, from our hormones.
"If you look at little boys and girls, the prevalence of pain is the same," she says. That prevalence, however, changes at puberty in ways doctors are still trying to understand.
In clinical studies, women show a greater sensitivity to pain than men do -- we have a lower pain threshold. Women typically believe they deal with pain better than men, and while that's not true physiologically because our bodies react more strongly, Dr. Arnold believes that women learn to cope and function better with pain, because it's a greater part of our lives.
Doctors are typically not well trained in evaluating or treating pain. Dr. Arnold says they tend to view all pain as if it were acute pain, such as that from an injury. They need to have a better understanding of chronic pain. "It's a disease, it's not a symptom," she says.
A national survey shows certain gender differences when it comes to perceptions of chronic pain:
- Three in 4 women (76%) believe women have a higher tolerance for pain, while just 1 in 3 men (32%) think women have a higher tolerance.
- Nearly half of women (46%) think men are taken more seriously when they visit health care providers about chronic pain.
- Nearly twice as many women than men (59% vs 36%) feel they are considered a "complainer" because of their chronic pain.
Those are some discouraging perceptions, but Dr. Arnold believes fibromyalgia acceptance is gaining ground. "I've been working in this area since the 1990s and I feel in the last 3 years the level of acceptance has really improved," she says.
You can learn more about HealthyWomen and the new campaign, visit the website: HealthyWomen.org.
And because I hate to leave out the men among us, here's a link to a site devoted to you: menwithfibro.com. It's got information and a forum where, for once, you won't be grossly out numbered by the women!
Do you think women cope better with pain than men? Are men taken more seriously when they see a doctor about pain? Have you been labeled a "whiner"? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below!
Learn more or join the conversation!
NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
- Gender Differences in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Improving Your Relationship With Your Doctor
- 10 Important Lifestyle Changes for FMS & ME/CFS
Photo © Bruce Laurance/Getty Images
Men may have to face the idea that they should just be tough and get over it. If the question had been phrased, “Do you feel you are considered weak?” for having pain, maybe you would get a different spread of answers than for “complainer”. In any case, whether you’re seen as a whiner or a wimp, I think it must be a burden either way.
I’d be interested to see how studies might be able to distinguish those pain tolerance differences between men and women. My guess is that biology or society may condition us to tolerate different kinds of pain differently…
Having more experience historically in battles and the like may condition men to tolerate very severe acute pain better perhaps, even while men might not tolerate missing their keys, or the kids being too loud, or itching, toe stubs, or whatever. I’m not saying this is the case, just that further research often brings up more nuance.
Or maybe doctors just automatically diagnose women who have pain with fibromyalgia, and with men they look deeper for a more definitive diagnosis.
“We’ve come a long way, baby”, but still a long way to go. I have been diagnosed with severe FM and ME/CF with chronic Myofacial Pain for which I require frequent injections in the spine and hip. I worked as a clinical care manager with the largest privately owned managed care company in the US for mental health and substance abuse benefits until I had to quit Oct. 2007. When I went to my pain doc at one of our local hospitals for short term disability, he emphatically stated, “ABSOLUTLY NOT, I DON’T WANT TO GET SUED! IiT’S NOT LIKE YOU WORK CONSTRUCTION OR HAVE TO CARRY LOADS OF BRICK.” This from a young, well-educated doc from UNC! No, I didn’t have a physically demanding job, but I did need to be able to think clearly and manage a phone queue as well as sit and walk! Needless to say I found a new doc.