Women consistently experience more pain than men across 11 body parts
October 12, 2026
A large global study spanning 118 countries, published in Nature Medicine, has found that women consistently report more pain than men across 11 bodily sites, including the back, head, face, knees, chest, abdomen and hips. The study also found that, across sexes, the sharpest increases in self-reported pain tend to occur before age 55. These findings may inform a new approach to chronic pain prevention and management throughout the lifespan. Shuchita Garg, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Chronic Pain, within the Department of Anesthesia, and the medical director of the UC Medical Center Pain Clinic, who was not involved in this study, commented on the findings for Medical News Today (MNT).