If you’re a woman in your 40s and 50s, and have some form of chronic pain, you may have learned to just suffer in silence. These could include long-term migraines, joint and muscular pain, or vaginal pain, which can’t seem to be traced to other causes. The theme of World Menopause Day 2026, ‘Chronic Pain At Midlife’, recognises this pain as part of a syndrome that should be identified and managed, and not an invisible burden that women have to bear. Dr Premitha Damodaran, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, pulls back the curtain on this neglected aspect of women’s midlife.

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