Within the scope of the research, the participants were given “naloxone”, a drug that stops the factors that act as painkillers, and meditated.
Researchers examined participants’ reactions to pain when a painful but harmless heat stimulus was applied to their legs during meditation.
As a result of the examination, researchers found that the drug “naloxone” prevented the pain relief of meditation in men, while it increased the pain-reducing effect of meditation in women.
The researchers also observed that under these conditions, meditation was more effective in reducing the pain of people with chronic pain than healthy participants, regardless of gender.
Fadel Zeidan, one of the authors of the study, pointed out that the results reveal the need for gender-specific pain treatments and said, “This study provides the first clear evidence that gender-based differences in pain relief should be taken more seriously when developing and prescribing treatments for pain.” he said.