Why Women Are Mainly Affected From Knee, Leg, And Back Pain?

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Are women built for pain?

"This is an interesting question because people have strong beliefs about gender and pain," says Jennifer Graham, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State.

As Graham explains, a person's pain threshold is defined as the minimum amount of pain that evokes a report of pain. Pain tolerance means the time that a continuous pain stimulus is tolerated.

"Some feel that men have higher pain thresholds and tolerance levels than women because they believe that men are tougher overall," she says. "

Other people think that women have a higher threshold and tolerance, the reasoning being either that women have evolved to be able to cope with childbirth pain, or that they have dealt with so much naturally occurring pain in their lives that they can handle anything a laboratory technician might dish out."

In all, the researchers assessed sex differences in reported pain for more than 250 diseases and conditions.

For almost every diagnosis, women reported higher average pain scores than men. Women's scores were, on average, 20 percent higher than men's scores, according to the study.

Women with lower back pain, and knee and leg strain consistently reported higher scores than men. Women also reported feeling more pain in the neck (for conditions such as torticollis, in which the neck muscles twist or spasm) and sinuses (during sinus infections) than did men.

These sudden pains can be chronic or severe which causes inflammation and other factors. Keep on reading to know what can be the solution to reduce these sudden pain that mostly women suffering and affected.

1. Neck And Shoulder Pain

The most worrisome causes of neck pain rarely cause severe pain, and common problems like slipped discs are usually much less serious than people fear. Sharp and stabbing pains are usually false alarms. Only about 1% of neck pain is ominous, and even then it’s often still treatable. Most of the 1% are due to cancer, autoimmune disease, or spinal cord damage.

Treatment:

Neck pain often resolves with rest, ice or heat, massage, pain relievers, and gentle stretches. Reduce muscle inflammation and pain using an ice pack for 20 minutes several times a day during the first 48 to 72 hours. Thereafter, a warm shower or heating pad on low setting may be added to relax the muscles. A short period of bed rest is okay, but more than a couple of days does more harm than good. If self-care treatments aren't working within the first couple of days, see your doctor.

2. Back Pain

The main cause for this could be pregnancy-related issues and the most common cause is muscle strain often related to heavy physical labor, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting into awkward positions, or standing in one position too long according to the experts.

Treatment:

During the first 24 to 48 hours, use ice wrapped in a towel or cloth. Ice helps to reduce swelling, muscle spasms, and pain. Thereafter, switch to heat. Heat helps warm and relaxes sore tissues. Over-the-counter medications

Tylenol or Advil, taken according to package directions, may help reduce inflammation and pain. While days of bed rest is no longer recommended, you may need to modify your daily routine to give your lower back the opportunity to recover.

Important Note: Never apply a cold or heat source directly onto skin, always wrap it in something.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Low back pain is, or becomes severe and persistent
Does not subside after a few days
Interferes with sleep and daily activities

3. Knee Pain

Most of us have heard that female athletes are more prone to suffering from a traumatic knee injury. But what most people don't know is that you don't have to be a weekend warrior to end up with a serious knee problem. Each year, roughly 10 million women see their doctors for knee pain, often caused by activities that are not related to sports, such as lifting boxes, going up a flight of stairs or squatting too much while gardening.

Treatment:

Your knee pain could be an outcome of a damaged muscle, ligament or weakened bones. Just in case the pain persists for more than three-four days, or gets worse, it is extremely important to seek professional help. In case of minor injuries, you can try treating them in the comfort of your home without popping pills. Such as applying ice or try to apply warm sesame oil or mustard oil with a pinch of turmeric onto the joint.

4. Leg Pain

Leg problems may be minor or serious and may include symptoms such as pain, swelling, cramps, numbness, tingling, weakness, or changes in temperature or colour. Symptoms often develop from exercise, everyday wear and tear, or overuse. For woman mostly causes of wearing high heels every day.

Treatment:

Simply avoid wearing high heels if possible, if you have any choices try to check some foot wear that can be comfortable.

Treatment for leg pain depends on the underlying cause. Treatment for leg pain may include rest, cold compresses, elevation, crutches, an elastic wrap, a splint or cast, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for pain, and surgery.

See your doctor if you’re experiencing severe or persistent leg pain.