Many doctors and researchers are familiar with the following scenario: Two people are involved in the same car accident, suffer similar injuries, yet months later the woman is still dealing with persistent pain while the man has already returned to routine. For years, such gaps were explained by psychological differences, pain thresholds, or the supposedly greater tendency of women to express their feelings. However, a new study offers a clear biological explanation and challenges the old assumptions.
A study published in the journal Science Immunology indicates that the male immune system may include a more efficient mechanism for suppressing persistent pain. Researchers found that men produce higher levels of an anti-inflammatory molecule called interleukin-10, which helps inhibit pain signals transmitted to the brain.
According to Geoffroy Laumet, one of the study’s authors and a professor of physiology at Michigan State University, this is a real biological mechanism originating in immune cells. It is not a matter of imagination or hypersensitivity. There is a physiological process here that can be measured.
Women Experience More Chronic Pain
Previous studies have already shown that women tend to suffer more from chronic pain and that the duration of pain in women is longer on average. Conditions such as post-surgical pain or pain following physical trauma clearly illustrate this gap. However, it is important to emphasize that not all types of chronic pain are explained by trauma. Conditions such as fibromyalgia are not necessarily linked to a specific injury.
Ann Gregus, a pain researcher at Virginia Tech who was not involved in the study, says the findings reinforce the need to take women’s complaints seriously. According to her, many women have learned over the years to hide their pain for fear of being perceived as weak or as not functioning properly at home and at work.
The study included 245 people who experienced traumatic injuries, mainly from car accidents. On the day of the injury, no significant differences were found in pain intensity between men and women. However, in a follow-up lasting nearly three months, it was found that pain subsided faster in men.
Blood tests showed that men had higher levels of interleukin-10. Researchers believe that testosterone increases the production of this molecule by white blood cells, thus helping to suppress the pain response.
The findings were also reinforced in experiments with mice. After injection of a substance that created an inflammatory response, male mice showed signs of faster recovery from pain compared to females. Even after a small surgical incision or prolonged physical stress, males recovered more quickly. White blood cells producing interleukin-10 were much more active in them.
However, experts emphasize that the differences between sexes are not absolute. Dr. Michele Curatolo from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington notes that many men also suffer from prolonged chronic pain. There is no single magic mechanism that explains the entire phenomenon.
According to him, this is an important puzzle piece but not a comprehensive solution. Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon involving interaction between the immune system, the nervous system, hormonal factors, and environmental and psychological influences.
Potential Therapeutic Implications
Researchers believe that in the future it may be possible to develop targeted treatments that help women in particular. One possibility suggested is the use of low-dose testosterone patches, a local treatment that may cause fewer side effects compared to systemic therapy.
Currently, treatment options for chronic pain are limited and sometimes accompanied by risks. Long-term use of over-the-counter painkillers may damage the kidneys or cause stomach ulcers. Opioids, sometimes used as a last resort, can lead to addiction. Doctors sometimes prescribe antidepressants or anti-epileptic drugs for pain treatment, but not all patients respond to them. Physiotherapy or acupuncture may help some patients but are not universal solutions.
Beyond the biological aspect, the study has social significance. For decades, women’s complaints of pain were sometimes met with dismissive attitudes or explained solely psychologically. Understanding that different immune mechanisms exist between sexes requires a change in perception among both professionals and the public.
The main message is that women’s pain is not less real and not less physiological. If the male immune system is indeed more effective at suppressing persistent pain, this is a biological difference that should be considered in developing treatments and making medical decisions.
The path to a full understanding of chronic pain is still long, but the current study provides a grounded and thought-provoking explanation for a gap familiar to many from both clinical practice and life itself.