Being a woman carries a higher risk of feeling pain, especially if pain is not associated with significant tissue damage.
In recent years, studies on differences in pain regarding gender have multiplied. This is a thorough review:
Why is there more pain among women?
Any proposals?
The first problem arises when we consider the origin of pain. Does the well or wrongly called "muscle-skeletal pain" come from muscles and the skeleton or from a vigilant-catastrophist brain advised by professionals who attribute too much responsibility to wear, bulges, pinches, contractures ...?
Is the female body more vulnerable, less resistant to mechanical stress?
Does the female body have more mechanical and psychoactive stress by the roles assigned by culture?
Is the feminine way of evaluating the source of pain more catastrophist?
Does the woman confront the problem by asking for more analgesic help?
What is the role of hormones?
How is feminine pain judged by professionals in comparison to masculine pain?
The questions could be multiplied to infinity through all the possible combinations of factors. The truth is that we have a serious problem of high incidence of local and widespread pain in women with the aggravation of the frequent company of a low mood and exhaustion.
The drama of fibromyalgia raises many questions about pain and gender. There are many works that seek (and find) the biological differences, influences of hormonal factors, different ways of brain processing. Biology exists. No doubt. But there is a lack of cultural considerations, the impact of learning by imitation-copy-empathy and expert information.
The organism is thoroughly analysed, its genes and hormones, its biography, its psychophysical stress. It’s the individual who catches a mysterious illness. The possibility of the organism being reasonably healthy but being managed by a brain that is wrong, although it may only be a hypothetical alternative of work and reflection, is not considered. If the pedagogy of pain can be reasonably improved, the female vulnerability may come, at least in part, from her biological and cultural condition for greater attention to avoid harm and to be guardians. The woman requests more diagnostical and therapeutical care, and therefore is more vulnerable to social expectations and beliefs, professionals, about injury and pain.
Fibromyalgia is the result of a sensitized brain. How does anyone get to sensitization? By the repetitive bombardment of signals of physical damage to an emotionally sensitive and depressive brain and in addition, or preferably, by indoctrination?
Do we need to update and spread information on neurobiology of pain? Are patients interested in such pedagogy or are they suspicious of it?
The female brain projects more pain on their heads, "muscles", "bones", "joints", "discs", abdomen, mouth. Real body? Virtual body?
Being a woman, hurts. That's the reality.
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