All articles tagged with #chronic pain
Duke University researchers showed that damaged nerves can be revived by transferring healthy mitochondria from glial cells to sensory neurons, significantly reducing pain in models of diabetic and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and suggesting a new way to treat chronic pain at its source. More studies are required to understand the mechanism and validate this approach in humans.
A new line of chronic-pain research points to a brain region, the caudal granular insular cortex, and the vagus nerve as key players in whether pain fades after an injury or becomes long-lasting; blocking the pathway early in animals prevents chronic pain, while later intervention can ease established pain. The work emphasizes that pain is not just tissue damage but an active nervous-system state influenced by brain circuits, inflammation, and interoceptive signaling, with taVNS emerging as a potential tool in specific clinical contexts—but findings are preliminary and condition-specific.
A BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine review analyzed 19 randomized trials (6,506 participants) and found tramadol provides only modest, likely non-meaningful relief for chronic pain while doubling the risk of harm versus placebo—predominantly heart-related events—with common side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and constipation. Many included studies carried biases that may overstate benefits and understate harms; a questionable signal for cancer risk was noted due to short follow-up. Overall, the potential harms appear to outweigh the limited benefits, underscoring a need to rethink tramadol’s role in chronic-pain care amid broader opioid concerns.
Researchers identified a tiny brain region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) that acts as a switch determining whether pain fades or becomes chronic. In animal experiments, silencing this pathway prevented chronic pain from forming and could even erase it after onset by interrupting signals to the somatosensory cortex and spinal cord. The findings suggest targeted brain-cell interventions or brain-machine interfaces as potential, opioid-sparing treatments, though applicability to humans remains to be studied.
A nationwide study of 958 chronic-pain patients at pain centers across Japan found ADHD symptoms are significantly associated with more severe pain, suggesting addressing ADHD symptoms could help ease chronic pain; the findings were published in Scientific Reports and led by Satoshi Kasahara of the University of Tokyo.
Large-scale brain imaging and animal studies show chronic pain gradually reshapes the hippocampus; early adaptations (larger volume and higher activity) correlate with resilience, while later changes include reduced hippocampal volume, disrupted activity, and cognitive decline that accompany depression. A dentate gyrus–microglia interaction appears to be a key switch from adaptive to maladaptive responses, and reducing hippocampal inflammation in animals improved depression-like symptoms, suggesting early anti-inflammatory treatment could help prevent pain-induced depression.
Stanford researchers mapped a previously unknown brain circuit that specifically drives chronic pain after injury. Turning off this circuit stopped exaggerated responses to gentle touch in mice and reduced chronic pain without affecting acute pain, while activating it induced lasting pain sensitivity. The circuit forms a loop from the spinal cord through the thalamus, cortex, and brainstem back to the spinal cord, suggesting two separate networks for chronic and protective acute pain and pointing to targeted therapies that block chronic pain signals while preserving normal pain responses; human data is being explored to confirm applicability in people.
A large neuroimaging study shows chronic pain progressively reshapes the hippocampus: early adaptive increases in dentate gyrus activity give way to abnormal microglial activation and hippocampal shrinkage, linked to cognitive decline and depression across various pain types. Animal data suggest minocycline can dampen this process and preserve hippocampal structure; meanwhile, lifestyle factors and mindfulness may boost hippocampal volume and reduce depression risk, implying early, targeted treatment of pain could prevent depressive outcomes.
A study published in Annals of Neurology found that people with chronic back pain rate unpleasant sounds more intensely and show stronger activity in auditory and emotion-processing brain regions than pain-free individuals. The findings suggest a broader, multi-sensory amplification linked to chronic pain, possibly via a shared brain mechanism. Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) produced modest improvements in pain and reduced unpleasantness of low-intensity sounds, but the evidence isn’t yet robust, and researchers call for more work to understand if this hypersensitivity extends to other senses and to confirm causality.
A Washington Post Well+Being piece reports an Annals of Neurology study finding people with chronic back pain process sounds more intensely, suggesting amplified sensory processing in the brain. fMRI showed heightened responses to unpleasant noises, and pain-reprocessing therapy produced modest reductions in sound unpleasantness for some patients.
Lili Reinhart recounts a grueling year of misdiagnoses and invasive tests for persistent bladder and pelvic pain that were initially treated as infections, ultimately leading to laparoscopic surgery that confirmed endometriosis and adenomyosis. She describes the emotional toll, fertility concerns, and the pivotal role of advocating for herself and listening to women's pain, while highlighting the broader issue of how often women's symptoms are dismissed.
Chronic back pain is linked to amplified brain responses to everyday sounds, with heightened activity in higher-level sound and emotion regions (auditory cortex and insula) and reduced engagement of the prefrontal control center. A randomized trial found Pain Reprocessing Therapy most effectively dampens these responses and improves regulation of unpleasant sounds, supporting the idea that chronic back pain involves brain-based amplification and can be treated with psychological approaches.
New fMRI study shows chronic back pain heightens the brain’s response to ordinary sounds, with stronger activity in the auditory cortex and insula and less regulation by the medial prefrontal cortex; 142 patients vs 51 controls reacted more intensely than 84% of controls. A randomized trial found Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) best reduced this sensory amplification and normalized brain activity, supporting the idea that chronic pain is a whole-brain issue that can be treated with brain-based therapies.
A new Science Immunology study of 245 people with traumatic injuries, plus mouse experiments, suggests women’s pain lasts longer because their immune system is less effective at shutting off pain; men have higher interleukin-10, and testosterone boosts interleukin-10 production, helping pain fade faster. The findings, which align with observed sex differences in chronic pain, could guide future treatments (including hormone-based options) while acknowledging that pain biology is not explained by a single pathway.
A BuzzFeed list highlights 21 conditions many people dismiss as 'minor' but that profoundly affect daily life—from sleep disruption and chronic pain to migraines, GI issues, and autoimmune diseases—sharing Reddit stories to illuminate the real, lived impact.