Women Face Higher Pain Levels Than Men Across Multiple Body Areas: Study - Video

Women report higher levels of pain than men across all 11 body sites studied, according to a large global analysis published in Nature Medicine. Researchers combined data from more than 6 million people across 118 countries between 1990 and 2025.

Women reported more pain than men at every body site assessed, including the head, face, neck, shoulder, chest, back, abdomen, hip, knee, hand, wrist, elbow, foot and ankle. Differences were especially pronounced for headache, facial, and abdominal pain.

About 40% of participants reported back pain, while facial pain was reported by about 2%.

Across both sexes, pain increased before age 55 and generally peaked at or after age 75. However, patterns varied by pain type. Headache, facial and abdominal pain tended to peak earlier before declining, while musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the back, hip and knee, generally increased with age.

High-intensity pain peaked at around 50, whereas generalised pain peaked at about 70. The findings suggest that a substantial proportion of lifetime pain burden develops during working-age adulthood.

People living in regions with lower Human Development Index scores had substantially higher late-life rates of bodily pain and nearly twice the prevalence of low back pain at older ages.

The researchers estimated that smoking, obesity and lower household income together accounted for 18.3% of the global pain burden, although contributions varied between regions.

The study relied largely on self-reported pain, which may improve understanding of pain in populations with limited healthcare access. However, differences in measurement methods, uneven regional data, and limited representation of the youngest and oldest groups were important limitations.

Overall, the findings highlight the need for more equitable pain prevention, research, and treatment, particularly for women. The authors say these patterns can guide prevention and healthcare planning globally.

REFERENCE: Fillingim, M., Tanguay-Sabourin, C., Neuert, L. et al. Global and regional reference curves for pain across the lifespan in 6.1 million individuals in 118 countries. Nat Med (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04696-w