Here's why women experience more chronic pain than men 🧐

Women may experience more chronic pain due to differences in their immune responses and higher levels of leptin. This discovery highlights the importance of sex-specific treatments.

A team from the University of Calgary has uncovered biological differences between the sexes in the experience of chronic pain. Dr. Tuan Trang and his colleagues observed that women are more affected by this type of pain, a phenomenon already noted in a 2019 report.


The study, published in Neuron, focused on neuropathic pain, a type of pain resulting from nerve damage. Researchers found that pain signals pass through pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels in both sexes, but the immune cells involved differ.

In women, Panx1 activation also triggers the release of leptin, a hormone linked to increased pain sensitivity. This could explain why women are more vulnerable to chronic pain, a pathway previously under-explored in predominantly male preclinical research.

Elevated leptin levels in women with chronic pain had already been documented. Dr. Trang notes that as early as the 1980s, studies on human blood samples revealed this correlation, though its mechanisms remained unclear.

Dr. Lori Montgomery, a clinician and associate professor, emphasizes the importance of considering sex and gender in pain treatment. This research paves the way for personalized treatments that could be more effective for women.

The study thus reveals distinct sex-based mechanisms in pain management, offering new perspectives for tailored therapies. Future work will need to further explore these differences to improve care.

What is neuropathic pain?

Neuropathic pain results from damage or dysfunction of the nervous system. Unlike nociceptive pain, which is a response to injury or inflammation, it often persists after the initial injury has healed.

This type of pain is particularly difficult to treat, as it doesn't always respond to traditional painkillers. Symptoms may include burning sensations, tingling, or increased sensitivity to touch, as in the case of allodynia.

Recent research highlights the importance of understanding underlying mechanisms to develop more effective treatments. Sex differences in these mechanisms open new avenues for targeted therapeutic approaches.