A Woman in Pain; what to do to be pain-free

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

December 1, 2022 – Cramps, migraines, back pain, childbirth, throughout their lives women are likely to feel a lot of pain. The FDA says on average women report more pain and some types of long term pain like migraines are more common in females. Despite this many studies have proven that women are less likely to be treated quickly.

One of those ‘The Girl who Cried Pain’ found that ‘women report more severe levels of pain, more frequent incidences of pain, and pain of longer duration than men, but are nonetheless treated for pain less aggressively.’

Many women have had this experience, writer Joe Fassler explained how his wife Rachel waited 14 hours in the emergency room because none of the nurses believed she was in as much pain as she said and the doctor on call didn’t bother to do an exam, writing it off as a common health issue and treating her for that. In fact, Rachel was in dire need of emergency surgery to get rid of an ovarian torsion, which if left untreated causes body tissue to die. When doctors finally realized what was wrong the only option left was to cut out her uterus

So what can women do to get adequate healthcare when in pain? The US Pain Foundation lists several ways women can talk to their doctors about pain efficiently.

• Make note of and discuss the intensity of your pain on a scale, make sure to note when it gets more or less intense
• Talk about the functional impact it has on your day-to-day life. Has it stopped you from exercising, from going out? From making yourself a meal? Note all of these things and explain them to your doctor. “When you talk about what the medical community calls “daily activities of living,” doctors often sit up and take notice,” the USPF says.
• Communicate your short- and long-term goals. Do you want to get back to exercising? or to running marathons, communicate this and organize a treatment plan

In addition learning more precise words for pain will help you describe it effectively, is it throbbing, aching, biting? Don’t be afraid to get a second and even a third opinion on your pain and finally be firm with your explanations, you know your body best.