Cultural differences towards pain in Japan

Something I find interesting about health (and healthcare) in Japan is how pain is viewed compared to back home. I started thinking about it after a recent precautionary mammogram, which is a procedure I'd never experienced before. I went into it not knowing what to expect, and I wasn't given any warning it would possibly hurt... and hurt it did! I like to think I have a reasonable pain tolerance, but I yelped out loud as they took the first scan, and breathed through the others as if I was in labor!

A recent precautionary mammogram got me thinking about how pain is viewed and responded to here in Japan compared to back home. Pic Credit: Public Domain

I've had friends recover from C-sections here with the equivalent of Tylenol (over the counter paracetamol) to ease the pain of being sliced open. I know plenty of people who have endured fillings without numbing shots at their dentists because that's standard practice, and often, day procedures like colonoscopies are done without sedation being offered. I've also had a uterine biopsy done here without sedation, a procedure that I'd had done before while knocked out because my American OB/GYN warned me it "hurts like the dickens" -- and that was a direct quote. I got so dizzy after they performed one here without sedation that I had to lie down for about 30 minutes before they’d let me go home.

A wealth of scientific research has been conducted on the difference between how pain is experienced in different cultures. This research notes that culture can impact many pain-related factors, including how an individual communicates pain, an individual's emotional responses to someone else's pain, pain intensity and tolerance, and beliefs around how a person should cope with pain.

The research also notes that in some Asian cultures, there is a tendency to avoid talking about one's own pain. I think this is greatly different to my home country where people are quite open in talking about pain experiences, and it's 100% normal to tell a doctor if something hurts or is uncomfortable. In the same way, doctors will usually tell you if they believe something will be painful or uncomfortable, and work out ways to mitigate this as best as possible.

I find this to be helpful because sometimes if you think something will be painful and it's not as bad as expected, you come out of the experience feeling like a superhero! In contrast, with my recent mammogram, I wasn't told anything by the doctor about it potentially being painful -- and I think maybe that increased how painful it seemed.

Have you noticed a difference in how your pain is responded to by medical professionals here in Japan compared to your country of origin? Do you have any positive or negative stories to share about your experiences?