Can Brain Stimulation Prevent Chronic Pain Before It Starts?
A groundbreaking study from Australian researchers offers hope for millions who suffer from chronic pain. Neuroscientists at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) have developed a novel brain stimulation technique. They believe it could stop chronic pain before it even begins, potentially transforming how we understand and treat this debilitating condition.
Chronic pain affects an estimated 1 in 5 people globally. It costs the Australian economy billions of dollars in lost productivity and healthcare expenses annually – a crisis mirrored in healthcare systems around the world. Current treatments primarily focus on managing pain after it dissolves into a chronic state. This new research, however. takes a proactive approach.
"Our research showed that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, which is a non-invasive brain stimulation, could be delivered in a preventative way, before pain takes hold," explains Dr. Nahian Chowdhury, a NeuRA Research Fellow and Head of Neurostimulation at UNSW’s NeuroRescovery Research Hub.
The study involved a five-day course of rTMS. Researchers administered it to healthy participants before inducing pain through an injection.
"We were looking to see what the experience was for participants who had received the rTMS, versus what happened for those who had received the sham," Dr. Chowdhury said. "Those people who had received active rTMS experienced lower pain on chewing and yawning than those who received the sham."
The findings, while preliminary, are profound. Participants who underwent rTMS exhibited less intense and prolonged pain after the injection compared to those who received a sham treatment.
"Chronic pain is a global health issue, impacting patient quality of life and healthcare systems," says Dr. Chowdhury. "We looked at how we can support the body before a pain event, and before pain is chronic, by targeting the features of cortical activity associated with chronic pain susceptibility.
"We found that a five-day course of rTMS before pain onset has the potential to interrupt the transition to chronic pain.”
This research focuses on identifying brain activity metrics associated with pain resilience. Dr. Chowdhury suggests these metrics could be used in the future to predict an individual’s susceptibility to chronic pain.
A New Era of Pain Prevention?
The study directly addresses the limitations of current treatments.
“Whilst chronic pain is a significant problem, the current interventions are usually only applied once the pain is chronic,” Dr. Chowdhury said.
With further research, preventative treatments like rTMS could become a standard practice, particularly for individuals undergoing surgeries known to result in chronic pain. This could revolutionize pain management.
NeuRA is an independent, non-profit research institute based in Sydney dedicated to preventing, treating, and curing brain and nervous system diseases. To learn more, visit www.neura.edu.au
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