Washington: According to the new study neck pain is more common in women than in men. Women suffer from neck pain that is caused by cervical degenerative disc disease more often than men do.
Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that women are 1.38 times more likely than men to report neck pain due to cervical degenerative disc disease.
Cervical degenerative disc disease is a common cause of neck pain. Symptoms of the disease, which is the most common cause of neck pain, include stiff neck, burning sensation, tingling and numbness.
The research team, composed of Meda Raghavendra and Joseph Holtman at the Loyola University Medical Center and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, examined 3,335 patients who were being treated at the center from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2014. The majority of the patients, 61 percent or 2,047, were women.
The findings add to the growing body of research on the differences in which men and women experience pain, researchers said.
Previous studies have found that females are more likely to be treated at pain clinics for chronic pain and that certain painful conditions, such as migraine headaches and fibromyalgia, are more common in women.
Various explanations have been proposed, including hormonal differences and the belief that men may be less willing to report pain.
Pain is most prevalent when the patient is upright or moving the head, researchers said. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine in California.
Cervical degenerative disc disease can negatively affect people's lives.
Once movement becomes hindered, people might no longer be able to independently accomplish daily tasks, such as reaching for an item in the cabinet or carrying bags.
This study's findings can help doctors better understand how cervical degenerative disc disease affects men and women differently, which would ideally lead to improved treatment options.
(With agencies input)
