<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why do women make up 70% of chronic pain sufferers?&lt;/strong&gt; The answer involves more than just biology. Dr. Megan and Holly examine how hormones, pain thresholds, and social conditioning create vastly different pain experiences for men and women.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You'll discover:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Why pain thresholds change dramatically at puberty and menopause&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;How testosterone acts as a buffer and estrogen fluctuations trigger pain&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Insights about that viral study where men couldn't last through simulated labor pain&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Why menstrual pain is chronically underreported (and how that leads to worse outcomes)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;How memory and pain are linked through estrogen receptors in the brain&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;What happens to transgender individuals' pain perception during hormone therapy&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Holly and Dr. Megan also tackle the social costs of pain - from women hesitating to report debilitating cramps to men feeling pressured to "gut it out" - and why finding a practitioner who asks about your full pain experience matters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The good news? Pain is malleable, and there are evidence-based approaches that can help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Links to interesting things from this episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li data-list="bullet"&gt;&lt;span class="ql-ui" contenteditable="false"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://drjengunter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Dr. Jen Gunter, website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br/&gt;</description>

Unpacking Pain

Holly Osborne and Megan Steele

Unpacking: Gender Differences and the Impact of Hormones on Pain

FEB 23, 202648 MIN
Unpacking Pain

Unpacking: Gender Differences and the Impact of Hormones on Pain

FEB 23, 202648 MIN

Description

Why do women make up 70% of chronic pain sufferers? The answer involves more than just biology. Dr. Megan and Holly examine how hormones, pain thresholds, and social conditioning create vastly different pain experiences for men and women.You'll discover:Why pain thresholds change dramatically at puberty and menopauseHow testosterone acts as a buffer and estrogen fluctuations trigger painInsights about that viral study where men couldn't last through simulated labor painWhy menstrual pain is chronically underreported (and how that leads to worse outcomes)How memory and pain are linked through estrogen receptors in the brainWhat happens to transgender individuals' pain perception during hormone therapyHolly and Dr. Megan also tackle the social costs of pain - from women hesitating to report debilitating cramps to men feeling pressured to "gut it out" - and why finding a practitioner who asks about your full pain experience matters.The good news? Pain is malleable, and there are evidence-based approaches that can help.Links to interesting things from this episode:Dr. Jen Gunter, website