Franklin Pain and Wellness Center

The newly released study in the Journal of Pain found that when asked to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10 - 0 being no pain, and 10 being the worst pain - women on average scored their pain 20% more intense than men.

The results held from back pain and neck pain, digestive disorders, sinus infections, and even ankle strains and sprains. In almost every category, women reported more pain than men.

The overall results tended to confirm the fact that women with fibromyalgia or migraines report more pain than men with those conditions. But the study also identified previously undocumented gender differences. For example, pain intensity among patients with acute sinusitis or neck pain is greater in women than in men.

According to the results of the study women experience more intense pain than men. The fact that women report more pain overall doesn't necessarily mean they have more or less tolerance to pain than men.

There are numerous studies showing that women report more pain than men for a number of diseases. The study doesn't explain the reason for the difference, and it could include social, psychological or biological factors. For example, men may be more reluctant to confess intense pain to a female nurse. Women are more likely than men to suffer from depression and anxiety, two psychological conditions that can increase susceptibility to pain.

For the study, the researchers analyzed electronic medical records to examine more than 160,000 pain scores reported for more than 72,000 adult patients. The results showed higher pain scores for women in virtually every disease category. The differences were both statistically and clinically significant.

There certainly are differences in pain among men and women. But this study focused on pain intensity, most previous studies looked at the prevalence: the percentage of men versus women with a particular clinical problem who are in pain.

Information from USA Today and SF Gate

Back pain, neck pain, and headaches are three common pain conditions that affect millions of Americans every day. About 116 million people suffer from chronic pain, with 27% of pain sufferers complaining of low back pain, 15% headache or migraine, and another 15% neck pain.

Some of this pain is the result of chronic underlying medical conditions, and requires pain treatment. But in some cases, you can manage pain by taking a few simple steps in your daily life.

Posture

If you could do just one thing to lessen the amount of pain you experience daily, it would be to improve your posture.

The average person slumps forward over their pelvis. This puts a lot of strain on the lumbar spine and can add to low back pain. We also tend to sit with our arms and head extended forward. That stretches the posterior structures of the back and can cause muscle tightness in the shoulders and neck. The forward positioning of the head can also lead to headaches.

So how should you be sitting? You can set up your work station for a pain-reducing posture. Some tips:

• Don’t work on a laptop.
• Set up your monitor so that you’re looking not straight ahead, but just about 10 degrees down from straight. “You shouldn’t be leaning and rounding forward.
• Add a footrest beneath your desk. “You want your ankles to be slightly flexed. This realigns your entire lower body, putting more weight onto your hips and less on your back.

Take a few minutes every hour to stand up and stretch, or even just lie flat on your back behind your desk.

Sleep

More than one-third of all adults -- 39% -- get less than 7 hours of sleep each weeknight. That may also be part of why so many of us are so achy.

During sleep the body heals. When you’re not falling into REM sleep or limiting that type of sleep, you tend to be clumsier and your muscles aren’t as quick and resilient. So if you’re not getting enough REM sleep, your potential for injury increases, and decreases your ability to heal from an existing injury.

There are many culprits behind sleep problems, from sleep apnea to wakeful children to work stress. But if you are not getting enough sleep at night take a look at two things: your mattress and your sleep position, you can also experiment with pillows.

If you suffer from chronic pain or pain from an underlying medical condition, contact Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.

Original article WebMD

Approximately 28 million Americans suffer from Migraine headaches, but 1 in 6 people have been mistakenly diagnosed with a tension or sinus headache. Migraines often make daily functioning difficult to impossible and rob you of quality of life, lasting anywhere between several hours to 3 days.

Migraine symptoms include a pounding headache, nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity. Food, stress and hormones can be migraine triggers.

The cause of migraine headaches is not fully understood, but it is believed to be neurological and that brain chemicals, blood vessels, and nerves of the brain are involved.

Migraines can be set off from a specific cause, often involving light, wearing polarized sunglasses and using daylight spectrum fluorescent bulbs may help.

Relaxation exercises can help you with the triggers of stress and tension.

The Franklin Pain Center specialists understand that migraines detract from your quality of life, and this is time you can’t afford to waste. Treatment is aimed at controlling the pain associated with Migraine headaches to allow for participation in daily activities, contact us.