Khaberni - Recent scientific research identifies immune differences between men and women that explain the persistence of chronic pain in women, and opens the door to more precise treatments.
In a scientific development that could reshape the medical view of women's pain, a recent study revealed that the disparity in chronic pain rates between women and men is not due to "over-sensitivity" as was long believed, but to biological differences in the immune system's functioning.
The study's findings open new avenues for treatment pathways and put an end to an idea that has long marginalized women's suffering, according to what was reported by the Huffington Post in its French edition.
Apart from the over-sensitivity hypothesis, the study indicates that the prevalence of chronic pain in women at a higher rate compared to men is based on a clear biological explanation.
The research was conducted at the University of Michigan, where researchers focused on the role of specific cells in the immune system that contribute to ending pain.
The results added that this biological pathway operates more efficiently in men compared to women.
Geoffroy Lomay, the lead researcher of the study published in the Journal of Immunology: "There are real biological reasons that make women suffer from longer-lasting pain."
Despite various potential factors, his research team focused on the role of a particular type of white blood cells.
The experiments conducted on mice showed that a subclass of immune cells leaves the bloodstream heading to the injured tissue, where it releases a molecule that works to "silence" the nerve cells responsible for sensing pain.
This effect was more pronounced in male mice, due to the influence of the testosterone hormone, which was found to boost the production of this pain-relieving molecule by white blood cells.
The results were not limited to animal experiments; researchers observed the same mechanism in human patients who suffered physical injuries, including car accidents. They measured the levels of these immune cells and the molecule associated with pain relief in the blood, and found that they were much higher in men compared to women.
Although both genders reported similar levels of pain initially following the injury, the decline in pain was much faster in men.
Elora Medavoy, a researcher at the University of California specializing in chronic pain, sees that this discovery fills an "important gap" in understanding pain mechanisms, noting that differences between the genders in this field are well-documented, although their biological causes were not fully understood.
Highlighting this biological pathway could pave the way for developing more effective treatments, especially since the currently available treatments do not provide an ideal solution for chronic pain, particularly in women.
Previous studies have also shown differences in response to pain relievers, with some drugs, like opioids, being less effective in women compared to men.
Although reaching a targeted treatment may take years, researchers hope that these findings will help correct the common notion that considers women's pain "exaggerated."
Women's pain has often been minimized in medical circles, frequently regarded more as an "emotional" matter than a condition rooted in biology. However, including women in clinical research over recent decades has begun to change this perspective.
As the new study confirms, things have indeed "started to change," both scientifically and medically.
