The Psychology of Pain
Posted on 29th July 2024 at 17:56
Hi, I’m Katie and I work as an administrative assistant here at Bodyworks Physiotherapy. I’m also a Psychology graduate, having recently finished my degree at Essex University.
Psychology is my passion and is actually rather interlinked with my job. At Bodyworks we see patients experiencing all types of pain, which always reminds me of my studies regarding the relationship between psychology and pain - so I thought I would share!
Pain is incredibly subjective but I’m sure we can all agree that it’s an unpleasant and life-hindering experience. As individuals we all have unique pain tolerances, influenced by a myriad of factors. Below I’ve listed some fascinating research regarding individual differences in pain tolerance!
Gender/Sex:
Women have lower pain tolerance levels than men, researchers think this is due to hormonal differences – testosterone (a male hormone) has been found to assist in the ability to cope with pain.
Genetics:
Some people have a specific variation of a special gene called ‘KCNS1.’
Having this variation can lead these people to experiencing increased sensitivity to pain and leaves them more vulnerable to developing chronic pain.
Education level:
Individuals with higher levels of education are more able to tolerate pain than those who are less educated, researchers think that this could be due to more access to healthcare services.
Age:
Some research has found that pain tolerance increases with age, as older adults have had more time to develop psychological coping mechanisms.
However, counter research argues that pain tolerance decreases with age due to changes in our nervous systems.
As you can see, pain is far more than just a biological reaction to injury. It is a complex interplay of our environment and genes. I really hope you enjoyed this read and possibly learnt something new! Katie
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