Women may have a genetically increased risk of suffering from back-ache, according to new findings.
Researchers say they have found a gene which increases rates of chronic pain in women – and reduces it in men.
The research in Norway found that the gene OPRM1 causes pain in women but not in men.
Researchers say about a quarter of people have the gene variant responsible for this.
Their study of 300 patients with slipped disc found that the variant led to women suffering twice as much pain as men. The work has been reported in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Researcher Professor Johannes Gjerstad said: “The gene variant we have studied does not in itself cause chronic pain – nor is a man or woman who has this ‘unlucky’ gene variant doomed to suffer back pain.
“Environmental factors such as psychosocial workload definitely play a role along with these genes."
Pain Intensity the First Year after Lumbar Disc Herniation Is Associated with the A118G Polymorphism in the Opioid Receptor Mu 1 Gene: Evidence of a Sex and Genotype Interaction Journal of Neuroscience July 18, 2012 • 32(29):9831–9834
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