Women receiving worse treatment for back pain – UK study | NHS
Women receive worse treatment for back and neck pain because their experiences are not taken into account in ‘male default’ clinical guidelines in the UK, a study has found.
The NHS is failing to recognize gender-specific considerations, such as the fact that pain is more common in women, in its model of care for the non-surgical management of chronic neck and back pain, according to a University of Lancashire study.
Lower back pain affects more than 600 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Back pain costs the NHS billions of pounds each year and chronic pain accounts for millions of GP appointments each year, while musculoskeletal disorders remain one of the leading causes of absence from work in the UK.
A major study of clinical advice, published in the journal Physical Therapy Reviews, has found that by routinely referring only to people, individuals or patients, clinical advice in the UK ignores the role that women’s different skeletal sizes, hormones, pregnancy experience or menopause may play in musculoskeletal pain. The guidelines also ignore the different biological characteristics of intersex patients.
Lauren Haworth, research associate at the University of Lancashire and lead author of the study, said it was important to consider sex-specific biology to provide personalized and equitable healthcare.
“We know that large breasts can be heavy, and without proper support, that extra weight, combined with gravity, can put pressure on a woman’s body, which can contribute to neck and back pain,” she said.
But she added that because existing guidelines do not recognize differences based on sex, “women may still be disadvantaged simply because their biological needs differ from those of men.”
Having children can also affect pain experiences. Dr Anastasia Topalidou, co-author of the study and associate professor in perinatal biomechanics and health technologies, said: “Pregnancy places major biomechanical demands on the spine as the body adapts to the growing fetus. »
Even after birth, it can take months for the spine and pelvis to return to their pre-pregnancy alignment, she added.
The study calls for the government’s women’s health strategy to ensure that sex-specific biological factors are transparently considered in the development of clinical guidelines.
Matthew Parker, associate professor of neuroscience and translational psychiatry at the University of Surrey, said there was a “real risk” that these women-specific factors were not routinely considered in routine care.
“This doesn’t mean women are always misdiagnosed, but it does mean some women may be assessed less accurately, treated less effectively and end up in longer cycles of persistent pain and repeat appointments,” he said.
A spokesperson for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said: “Our guidelines encourage doctors to tailor care to each person’s individual needs, and we welcome research that helps us improve the advice we provide. We will carefully review these findings as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our advice is useful, usable and works for everyone.”
