Pain in Women

Northwestern Medicine anesthesiologists offer a range of options for managing acute and chronic pain. In addition to providing surgery-related pain relief, anesthesia has become an effective solution in the management of pain. Men and women differ in terms of weight and body mass, pain thresholds, hormonal variations and life stage concerns. Therefore, anesthesia for women requires a specialized approach in its administration and use.

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) reports that women are “more likely to experience more recurrent pain, more severe pain and longer lasting pain” than men. Chronic pain conditions most common among women include:

• Fibromyalgia
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Migraine headaches

Our goal is to tailor a pain management approach that recognizes the biological, psychosocial and pain sensitivity issues of women. Often, the optimal solution is anesthesia.

We work with you to identify the site of pain, decrease inflammation and provide relief to help you improve your quality of life. Pain that comes from injured or inflamed nerves can often be improved by injecting certain medications to the area of injury. These treatments also allow you to work effectively with physical therapists and start personal exercise programs to regain strength and function with less pain.