This webinar will explore the intersection of gender, neuroscience and pain research, highlighting how women’s pain differs in prevalence, mechanism and management. Through presentations and discussio...

Recent research has found that women experience pain more often than men and that pain prevalence increases more rapidly before the age of 55. ljubaphoto · E+/Getty * A large global study found that pain prevalence increases most rapidly before age 55 and is consistently higher in women than men across 11 body sites. * Back pain was the most commonly reported type of pain, affecting 40% of participants. * The likelihood of experiencing any bodily pain increased with age, while high intensity and generalized pain peaked in mid-to-late adulthood before declining. * Smoking, obesity, and lower household income were associated with a higher burden of pain. Women experience a higher prevalence of pain than men across different areas of the body, according to a large global study published October 5 in Nature Medicine. The analysis, which included more than 6 million people, also found that pain prevalence generally increased with age, with the most rapid increases occurring before age 55. The findings come as lower back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis — all common causes of pain — are projected to become more prevalent globally by 2050. Pain is more prevalent in women than men Pain, especially lower back pain, is the leading cause of disability worldwide. However, researchers have lacked a standardized way to examine how self-reported pain varies across the life span and different regions of the world. This new study is one of the largest efforts to date to examine self-reported pain using a standardized approach. The researchers analyzed data from 6,125,459 individuals spanning 118 countries from 1990 to 2025. Participants ranged in age from 5 to more than 100, and 55% were female. They used self-reported data on pain across 11 body sites:  * head  * face * neck or shoulder  * foot or ankle  * hand or wrist * elbow  * chest  * back  * stomach or abdomen  * hip  * knee The researchers found that women consistently reported a higher prevalence of pain across all 11 sites than men. The largest differences between women and men were in facial pain, headache, and stomach or abdominal pain. Pain prevalence also increased most rapidly before age 55, especially at musculoskeletal sites such as the hips, back, and knees. Back pain is the most common pain condition The researchers found that the prevalence of pain varied considerably by body region and differed by age. Back pain was the most commonly reported, affecting 40% of participants, while facial pain was the least common at 2%. Neel Anand, MD, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, who wasn’t involved in the study, explained some factors that may contribute to the high prevalence of back pain. “Our modern lifestyles involve more prolonged sitting, less physical activity, and more time spent looking down at phones, tablets, and computers, all of which can contribute to poor posture and increased stress on the spine,” he said.  “As we get older, the discs between our vertebrae naturally lose moisture and elasticity, making them more vulnerable to degeneration, bulging, and herniation. Excess weight and smoking can accelerate this process,” Anand added.  In addition to pain at individual body sites, the researchers examined three broader measures: any bodily pain, high intensity pain, and generalized pain. Any bodily pain was defined as pain reported at any site. High intensity pain was defined as an average pain intensity of 7 or higher on a 0–10 scale. Generalized pain was defined as pain occurring in 4 of 5 body regions according to the 2016 fibromyalgia spatial criteria. The prevalence of any bodily pain increased progressively across the life span, from around 30% at age 5 to 70% among people ages 100 and older. All three pain measures were consistently higher in women than men.  While any bodily pain increased with age, high intensity and generalized pain peaked in mid-to-late life before declining. High intensity pain peaked around age 50, while generalized pain peaked around age 70. These different patterns could help identify when prevention and pain management efforts may be most beneficial across the life span. When to speak with your doctor about pain Vernon Williams, MD, a sports neurologist and founding director of the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Los Angeles, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Healthline there are several signs that pain should be evaluated by a doctor. “People shouldn’t feel that they simply have to live with pain. I especially recommend talking with a doctor when pain persists, interferes with sleep or daily activities, limits exercise or function, or is accompanied by symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or weakness,” Williams said. “Persistent pain deserves an evaluation to identify the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan.” Smoking, obesity, and lower income linked to higher pain burden The researchers found that smoking, obesity, and lower household income together accounted for 18.3% of the global pain burden across all body sites. People who currently smoked had a modest but consistently higher prevalence of pain across body sites from adolescence through age 65. The strongest association was seen with facial pain. Obesity was increasingly associated with pain beginning in early adulthood, particularly in weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips, feet, and ankles. Lower household income was also associated with a higher prevalence of pain across all body sites beginning in early adulthood. The strongest association was seen with chest pain. People with the lowest household incomes were more than twice as likely to report chest pain as those with the highest incomes. This difference was greatest in midlife and narrowed at older ages. Williams noted that medication isn’t the only option for managing pain. “Regular, appropriately paced exercise can help change how the brain experiences pain, while mindfulness, breathing exercises, adequate sleep, and other behavioral strategies can help the nervous system better regulate the pain response,” he said. “When medication is needed, I encourage patients to discuss non-opioid and non-pharmacologic options with their doctor as part of a comprehensive approach.” Anand added that, “The best strategy remains prevention and preservation of function: maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening the muscles that support the joints, and avoiding smoking can all help reduce the strain placed on the musculoskeletal system.”