Men and Women feel pain diffrently, women lack off switch..

[Sandel]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2304632/Women-feel-chronic-pain-more-than-men-because-their-brains-are-different.html

Men have a pain-suppressing circuit which links their brain to their spinal cord. When the circuit is activated by pain, endorphins are released and help lessen the feeling.

However, new studies have shown that the circuit does not release the analgesic endorphins in women.

~~~

The discovery could have an impact for how pain and illnesses in women are treated. Most of what is currently known about the brain comes from studies of male animals and male human volunteers.

A report, published in the New Scientist today, said: "If even a small proportion of what has been inferred from these studies does not apply to females, it means a huge body of research has been built on shaky foundations.

[911]

wish i had this switch ?????????????? ,,,,,,,,,,Dave

[Mark N]

Different studies have supported this idea but it is the first one that says why it happens. It is clear that studies need to be done on women as one size clearly doesn't fit us all. Thanks for this report.

[Nana4&cntn]

Thanks for the report! It opens a whole new can of worms for PM's and drug manufacturers. It appears there also needs to be many more studies along the same lines, with larger groups for doctors to get on board.

[Kathi49]

I thank you too Sandel! And I have seen similar things...about women feeling pain differently then men. And I happen to agree with it. :)

[Peter B]

I'm curious; Does this mean that the endorphins are NEVER released in women or are released later or that less endorphins are released? Also do pain relieving hormones do any good after a certain level of pain has been reached?


Pain free days,
Pete

[houghchrst]

I wonder if this is why I have seen so many men who have the whole "walk it off" attitude.

[Proton Soup]

really depends on the kind of pain with me. sharp pain i can adapt to, and may even raise my pain threshold and lower inhibition for things like lifting weights. but there's also a sort of dull pain i get in my ear and sinuses sometimes. it doesn't even feel like what i'd normally think of as "pain", but it really puts me out of commission. maybe because the trigeminal nerve has a more direct route to the brain it bypasses that circuit? i do know a man that told me once his sinus surgery was the worst pain he ever had.