How The Sexes Handle Spine Pain
Category: Spine Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Spine pain plagues both sexes, both how do men and women handle it, and who has it worse? A recent study out of India sought to answer some of those questions. Now, although we have some cultural differences from India, plenty of the findings hold true in America.
According to the study, not only are women suffering from more spine pain than men, but their injuries tend to be more severe. Moreover, when they are dealing with spine pain, women are more likely to wait to reach out to professional for help than men.
“More women suffer from spine problems and for a longer period of time,” said. Dr. Vishal Peshattiwar, a spine surgeon in Andheri. “Around 90 percent of women in the sample pool had symptoms for more than five years; with 50 percent having it for more than a decade. The wait for men was shorter; 90 percent had less than five years of complaints.”
Women And Spine Pain
A closer look at the findings suggest that when it comes to spine surgery rates, men and women come in for an operation at similar rates. However, when spine pain is more of a mild annoyance, women are more likely to try to power through the pain rather than seek out medical assistance.
“There is indeed a tendency among women to carry on despite back pain,” said Dr. Eknath Pawar, head of the orthopedic department at JJ Hospital in India. “This is especially true about women who stay at home.”
He added that men’s surgeries were more likely to be for acute injuries that they suffered, while women were more likely to undergo an operation for a chronic condition that had developed slowly over time.
“Men usually sustain spine problems due to accidents or falls at the workplace,” said Dr. Pawar. “They undergo surgery on an emergency basis.”
Other Findings
Other findings from the study include:
- Despite their hesitance to seek out professional help, on average, female patients were about a decade younger than the average male patient.
- Many female patients were plagued by vitamin D deficiency or calcium deficiency.
- A number of spinal issues in women were related to pregnancy and childbirth.
- Women registered higher average levels of pain tolerance than men.
It’s clear that both men and women face significant challenges in keeping their spine healthy, but it’s important to reach out for help if you are in pain. The longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to make a full recovery. If you are suffering from spine pain, let Dr. Sinicropi and his team help you.
