Health · Medical Research · 15 hrs ago
Report estimates chronic pain affects half of middle-aged women
An International Menopause Society report estimates chronic pain affects about half of middle-aged women.
Chronic pain lasts more than three months or keeps returning, and the report says women are up to 70 per cent more likely than men to experience it.
Why women are more affected is not fully understood, and experts say biological, psychological and social factors may all play a part.
Menopause-related hormone changes, poor sleep and lifestyle changes may contribute to pain in midlife.
Common symptoms include joint or muscle pain, migraine and pelvic pain, and many women experience several kinds at once.
A survey of more than 6,000 Australians found women reported an average of 4.6 types of chronic pain.
The report says the condition is often missed or inadequately treated, and its president says it aims to encourage women and health workers to discuss it.
A report from the International Menopause Society estimates that about half of all middle-aged women experience chronic pain.
The report says chronic pain is often under-recognised, underdiagnosed and inadequately treated.
Women are up to 70 per cent more likely than men to experience chronic pain, according to the report.
Pain in women often appears in midlife, with possible contributing factors including hormonal changes, poor sleep and lifestyle changes.
Chronic Pain Australia found women in its survey experienced an average of 4.6 different types of chronic pain.
- Who
- About half of middle-aged women, according to an International Menopause Society report.
- What
- The report estimates that chronic pain affects about half of middle-aged women. It defines chronic pain as pain lasting more than three months or recurring.
- When
- The report is described as recent. The article was published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- The report concerns women internationally; the article also cites a survey of Australians.
- Why
- The causes are not known for sure. Possible factors include hormonal changes, sleep disruption, lifestyle and stress.
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- Chronic pain definition
- Pain lasting more than three months or that keeps recurring
- Middle-aged women affected
- About half, according to the IMS report
- Difference by sex
- Women are up to 70 per cent more likely to experience chronic pain than men
- Pain types in Australian survey
- An average of 4.6 different types among women
- Survey size
- More than 6,000 Australians surveyed for Chronic Pain Australia's 2026 National Pain Report
What people are saying
Chronic pain in midlife is a very important subject and highly neglected
Sometimes the pain becomes widespread and it's present in every day of their life.
If we do not exercise properly, if we don't eat adequately and if we are not active very much in our life, pain will be an issue
Trying to understand why certain people or certain groups are more vulnerable to others is often multi-factorial and very layered