To all the women who have heard the frustrating “it’s all in your head” in response to medical maladies, a new study feels your pain.
Research published in the journal Science Immunology shows that women actually do experience exacerbated chronic pain compared to men – a gap that can be explained by biological differences in the immune system.
“The pain of women has been overlooked in clinical practice, with the idea that it’s more in the mind, or that it’s because women are softer and more emotional,” lead author Geoffroy Laumet says.
“But here, our study shows that the difference is real … it’s not a social construct. It has a real biological mechanism that is behind it.”
Pain occurs when neurons react to stimuli: stubbing your toe or tripping and skinning your knee, for example.
