If you’ve ever had a doctor brush off your back pain, headaches or stomach cramps as “just stress,” a massive new study may feel validating. Researchers looked at pain reports from more than 6 million people around the world. Across every part of the body they examined, women reported more pain than men.
Key Takeaways
- Women reported more pain than men at all 11 body sites studied, from the head and neck to the back, hips and knees. The study, led by researchers at McGill University in Montreal, was published in Nature Medicine in October 2026.
- The biggest gaps were in headaches, facial pain and stomach or abdominal pain, types of pain linked to conditions like migraine, menstrual pain and endometriosis.
- Back pain was the most common complaint overall, reported by about 40% of people.
- Pain rises fastest before age 55, and back, hip and knee pain keep climbing into older age.
- Smoking, obesity and lower income together accounted for about 18% of the global pain burden, which means a meaningful share of pain may be preventable.
What the study found
The researchers pooled self-reported pain data collected between 1990 and 2025 from 6,125,459 people, ages 5 to over 100, in 118 countries. About 55% were female. Their goal was to build “reference curves” for pain, similar to the growth charts pediatricians use, so people’s pain can be compared with averages for their age and sex.
Women reported more pain than men at all 11 sites: the head, face, neck or shoulders, chest, back, stomach or abdomen, hips, knees, hands or wrists, elbows, and feet or ankles. Women were also more likely to report high-intensity pain (7 or higher on a 0-to-10 scale) and widespread pain across several areas of the body.
The pattern held at nearly every age. The largest differences showed up in headaches, facial pain and abdominal pain, which tend to be most common during the reproductive years.
Age also played a major role. Reports of any bodily pain rose from about 30% in young children to about 70% in people over 100. The fastest increase happened between roughly ages 20 and 55. High-intensity pain peaked around age 50. Back, hip and knee pain, the kind tied to wear and tear, kept rising into older age.
Why women may feel more pain
The researchers say the gap likely reflects a mix of biology and life circumstances, not any single cause. Possible contributors include:
- Hormones. Estrogen and other sex hormones influence how the nervous system processes pain, which may help explain why the gap is largest during the reproductive years.
- The immune system. Animal research suggests males and females may use different immune pathways in chronic pain, though this hasn’t been confirmed in people.
- Conditions that mainly affect women, including migraine, endometriosis, painful periods, pelvic pain and fibromyalgia.
- Stress, caregiving and mental health. Depression, anxiety, poor sleep and the physical and emotional load of caregiving can all amplify pain.
- Reporting and diagnosis. Women may be more willing to report pain, and conditions that mainly affect women are often diagnosed late.
What the study can’t tell us
The data are self-reported and mostly come from single points in time. That means the study shows patterns across populations, not how pain changes in any one person as they age. It measured pain in general, not only chronic pain, and some regions, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, had limited data. Some of the proposed biological explanations come from animal studies that still need to be confirmed in humans.
What you can do
The finding that smoking, excess weight and lower income account for nearly a fifth of the world’s pain burden is a reminder that some pain can be prevented or eased.
- Don’t just live with it. See a doctor if pain lasts more than a few weeks, disrupts your sleep or daily life, keeps you from exercising, or comes with numbness, tingling or weakness.
- Speak up if you feel dismissed. Describe how the pain affects your life, and ask about conditions such as migraine, endometriosis or fibromyalgia if your symptoms fit.
- Keep moving. Regular, well-paced exercise and strength training are among the most effective treatments for back, hip and knee pain.
- Protect your sleep and mood. Poor sleep, stress and depression can make pain worse. Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people manage chronic pain.
- Tackle the modifiable risks. Quitting smoking and reaching a healthier weight can ease strain on joints and lower pain over time.
This isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.
Sources:
- Fillingim M, Vachon-Presseau E, et al. Global and regional reference curves for pain across the lifespan in 6.1 million individuals in 118 countries. Nature Medicine, October 2026.
- McGill University. Pain peaks earlier in life than might have been expected, global study finds. October 9, 2026.