WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to a study published in the journal PNAS Nexus, women experience pain differently than men.
The study noted that while men depend on the release of endogenous opioids, the body's natural painkillers, for pain relief, the women depend on alternative, non-opioid pathways for the same.
The double-blinded, counterbalanced study comprised of two distinct clinical trials involving 98 participants, of which 51 were women, all diagnosed with chronic lower back pain.
During the study, the participants practiced meditation while receiving either placebo or a high-dose of naloxone under conditions of noxious heat.
The study found that meditation significantly reduced pain sensations in both males and females. However, the addition of naloxone diminished the pain-relieving effects of meditation in males but left female's pain responses largely unchanged.
'There are clear disparities in how pain is managed between men and women, but we haven't seen a clear biological difference in the use of their endogenous systems before now,' said Fadel Zeidan, professor of anesthesiology and Endowed Professor in Empathy and Compassion Research at UC San Diego Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.
'This study provides the first clear evidence that sex-based differences in pain processing are real and need to be taken more seriously when developing and prescribing treatment for pain.'
The study emphasized the importance of more research into sex-specific pain interventions.
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