Many people suffer from chronic pain, which is a persistent ache that lasts for weeks or more. And when it occurs, it can be debilitating for some, thus interfering with their daily life and work activities. As a result, these patients often find themselves in an endless cycle of prescription pain medication trials that don’t work or that lead to addiction, which can be disruptive to families.
However, research shows that neurology may be the safest and most effective way to treat chronic pain.
How does neurobiology affect chronic pain?
Many scientists agree that one cause of chronic pain is past acute pain. Acute pain is the immediate sensation you feel when one of your body parts comes in contact with a source that causes it to hurt. This type of pain is usually only temporary, but for some, it can lead to recurring pain that lasts as long as several years.
According to scientists, the body’s tissues contain sensory endings that send signals to the brain whenever they are injured, thus causing pain or the perception of it to be felt on a conscious level.
However, they believe that the brain can also cause some people to experience pain when there are no apparent stimuli, which also leads to chronic pain. In this case, the brain’s normal circuitry may simply be reacting to emotional and cognitive sectors that have been rewired over time to deliver pain signals.
But why chronic pain occurs in certain individuals and in varying degrees that make some more sensitive to it than others is unknown. However, scientists feel that uncovering this mystery is the answer to effectively dealing with it.
Hence, neurology affects chronic pain by seeking to determine the specific objective biomarkers in the brain of each patient who suffers from chronic pain. This way, strides in medicine can be made to find more customized strategies for treating it.
The importance of having an updated healthcare lab
Some of the most important scientific breakthroughs occur in healthcare labs. Therefore, it matters that they are equipped with the right and most modern technology to ensure thorough testing and reliable results.
In fact, without updated equipment, world-renowned cancer centers, like the University of Texas MD Cancer Center, UCLA Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, would never have been able to deliver the groundbreaking treatments they are known for today.
It also allows more high-tech resources to be delivered to physicians quicker so they can successfully treat their most challenging cases.
The same is true is true for pharmaceutical companies. Without modern lab materials, big names like Pfizer and Moderna would not be able to quickly develop and produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients needed to fight emergency disease outbreaks and more.
Even companies that specialize in generic pharmaceuticals would not be capable of producing the more affordable medicine options they do without the right lab technology.
Chronic pain treatments for now and the future
Experts predict that over the next five to ten years, chronic pain treatments will include more effective medications and new procedures that make the process of relieving pain more spot-on for both patients and doctors, thanks to various research involving gene and light therapy.
Scientists studying gene therapy as effective pain relief are hoping that by understanding the mutant genes in those with rare pain disorders that cause them to feel no or extreme pain, they can transform the experience for many others by having them submit bloodwork and then using their DNA to prescribe the best pain medication for them.
Other studies involving the use of light therapy to relieve pain showed that patients with fibromyalgia, migraine, and arthritis pain who had no success with pain medication responded favorably to green light therapy. Hence, it suggests that green light technology and phototherapy may provide the same relief as pain medication and, in some cases, even replace the need for it.
There are also scientists, such as the ones at The National Institute of Health, who are working hard to develop effective, non-habit-forming pain medication that can be safely used in high doses to bring about relief, which is all possible thanks to modern lab resources.
Author: Brittany Cotton
Published by: International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog, Team iPain
