Volume 29, Issue 164, October 2025

Chronic Pain in Neurodivergent Individuals: A Hidden Epidemic

Maciej Janowski^♦, Marta Górska¹, Paweł Czyż², Jakub Górski³, Antonina Strzałkowska¹

¹Central Teaching Hospital of Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
²Szpital Miejski im. Św. Wincentego a Paulo w Gdyni, ul. Wójta Radtkego 18 Gdynia, Poland
³Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251 92-213 Lodz, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Maciej Janowski, Central Teaching Hospital of Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Lodz, Poland

ABSTRACT

Chronic pain often goes unrecognized in neurodivergent patients. The issue especially affects populations with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Underdiagnosis probably stems from differences in the presentation of pain symptoms. Patients in these groups experience pain more frequently, for more extended periods, and with greater intensity than their neurotypical peers. For instance, what looks like irritability or withdrawal may in reality be suffering. Starting from childhood, neurodivergent individuals report more frequent pain episodes, and it continues throughout adolescence and adulthood, where multisite and axial pain becomes more common. This phenomenon likely arises from a combination of factors, including sensory hypersensitivity, neuroinflammation, and a general imbalance in the way the nervous system processes stimuli. Diagnostic overshadowing can also play an important role. Clinicians may mistakenly attribute physical symptoms to the main characteristics of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The cost of missing these cases can be high. Unmanaged pain afflicts daily functioning, can worsen mental health, and deepen healthcare inequalities. There is some evidence suggesting that treating ADHD may help reduce chronic pain symptoms; however, this area remains underexplored. To resolve this problem, we need greater clinician awareness, improved pain assessment tools tailored to neurodivergent populations, and more personalized treatment strategies.

Keywords: Chronic pain, Autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, Neurodivergent, Diagnostic overshadowing

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e198ms3690

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Published: 03 October 2025