Campaign to educate men and women about fibromyalgia

Oct 19 2009

Women and men have opposing views on many topics, and it turns out that they also have different takes on chronic pain. According to a new survey of women and men with chronic pain released by the nonprofit HealthyWomen, the leading independent health information source for women, women are more than twice as likely as men to believe that women have a higher tolerance for pain (76% versus 32%, respectively).

In addition, almost twice as many women as men with chronic pain (59% of women vs. 36% of men)(1) feel they are considered to be "complainers" because of their chronic pain.

The survey is part of a new educational campaign - "She Said, He Said: Understanding Gender and Pain" - launched by HealthyWomen (formerly the National Women's Health Resource Center). The initiative is supported through a sponsorship by Pfizer Inc. The campaign is designed to help women and men better understand and manage fibromyalgia, one of the most common chronic, widespread pain conditions in the U.S., affecting more than 5 million Americans(3), mostly women. The campaign offers comprehensive resources including a series of articles, expert answers, first person perspectives, videos and tips on living with fibromyalgia, all available at www.HealthyWomen.org.

The survey of more than 1,000 people with chronic pain shows that more than half of women (53%)(1) wish family members would take their chronic pain more seriously, and 31 percent feel the same way about their friends. Nearly half of women surveyed (46%)(1) believe that men are taken more seriously when they visit health care providers about chronic pain. In fact, scientific research shows that women generally experience more recurrent pain, more severe pain and longer lasting pain than men with similar conditions.

"Chronic pain is a serious health issue for both women and men and should be taken seriously no matter what the gender," said Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of HealthyWomen. "Our new campaign is aimed at teaching people with fibromyalgia how to understand and communicate about their pain, by learning from others who live with and effectively manage the condition as well as from medical experts in the field."

Some Similarities When Seeking Help

While perceptions of chronic pain differ, women and men do show similarities in their response to treating chronic pain. Both genders reported in the survey that they visited a health care professional to discuss their symptoms within three months of experiencing chronic pain (65% women, 63% men). The top reasons for these visits also were similar: the ongoing presence of pain was the most significant reason cited (74% women, 70% men)(1), followed by intensity of the pain (58% women, 54% men), and impact of the pain on work (38% women, 34% men)(1) and relationships (27% women, 20% men).

Chronic pain such as fibromyalgia can have a debilitating effect on people's lives, impairing their ability to participate in everyday activities, including fun and work, and compromising personal relationships. Characterized by chronic widespread muscle pain and tenderness, fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by morning stiffness, poor sleep and fatigue.