Women experience a greater number of pain episodes across their lifespan than men, in more bodily areas and with greater frequency. Women tend to focus on the emotional aspects of pain, while men tend to concentrate on the physical sensations.

And women have been found to have a lower threshold to pain.

But several studies have revealed that not only do women report more pain during their lives, they also experience it in more parts of the body, more often and for a longer duration compared to men.

Researchers from the University of Bath said there appeared to be a difference in how men and women thought about pain, and anxiety may affect them in different ways.

The different strategies that men and women have in coping with pain may also actually make their experience worse.

Problem-Solving Approach

Dr. Ed Keogh, a psychologist from the university's Pain Management Unit, said men may take a more problem-solving approach to pain -- they think about what they can do to deal with the pain and get on with their lives.

By comparison women tend to be more emotional and focus on the pain and how it is making them feel, rather than thinking about how they can deal with it and get back to work, for example.

But the researchers said there is still more to learn about gender differences in coping with pain.

Dr. Keogh said, "What we have to start thinking about is why are there these differences and what are the treatment implications?"

One study carried out by the university involved asking volunteers to place their arm in a bath of warm water before plunging it into a container of ice water.

The researchers measured the pain threshold -- the point at which the participants first noticed pain -- and pain tolerance -- the point at which they could no longer stand the pain.

Women were found to have both a lower pain threshold and tolerance.

Emotional Aspects

Dr. Keogh said, "Until fairly recently it was controversial to suggest that there were any differences between males and females in the perception and experience of pain, but that is no longer the case.

"Research is telling us that women experience a greater number of pain episodes across their lifespan than men, in more bodily areas and with greater frequency.

"Unfortunately, all too often the differences between males and females are not considered in pain research or practice and instead are either ignored or statistically averaged."

The researchers suggested that while women tended to focus on the emotional aspects of the pain they experienced, men tended to concentrate on the physical sensations.

Chronic Pain in Children

The university is now investigating chronic pain in children.

The researchers said that as many as one in 50 children and adolescents live with severely debilitating and recurrent pain, but there is little information on how best to treat them.

Professor Chris Eccleston, director of the Pain Management Unit, said, "Many people used to think that chronic pain was a uniquely adult problem, but recent studies have shown that a number of children are severely affected by pain."