Groundbreaking discovery at Aberdeen Uni brings hope to chronic pain sufferers
Experts now looking to develop new treatments
A new weapon in the battle against chronic pain has been found by scientists at Aberdeen University.
Experts working with colleagues in Taiwan now know our bodies' receptors react differently to the pain which is treated by everyday medicines.
Dr Guy Bewick, Senior Lecturer in Neurosciences, explains: “We all know there are different types of pain. There is the sharp stinging pain of pricking your finger with a needle, and there is also the chronic pain of muscle soreness after unaccustomed exercise. Nevertheless, most of us in the West, including scientists, regard both simply as 'pain'. Currently, Western medicine is very often ineffective for chronic pain.
“However, Eastern cultures have differentiated for many centuries, calling the latter 'sng' in Taiwanese. The stinging pain from sharp objects and surgery can usually be treated effectively with common painkillers, but chronic pain often cannot.
“New treatments require an identifiably different drug target. This study has found that target.
Marlene Lowe, 35, lives in Aberdeen with her partner, Mark, and their two-year-old springer spaniels, Spock and Cheese.
Marlene describes her experience of living with the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia: “I was first diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in my early twenties, after pushing myself through two degrees and several years of debilitating illness.
“About a decade later, I started experiencing a new kind of pain. I was told it was my weight or my CFS, and no one seemed willing to acknowledge the severity of the pain I was in. “It was actually my family and friends who first suggested I look into fibromyalgia, and that was the first time I felt a glimmer of hope.
“I am delighted to see that there is more work being done to try to understand and treat chronic pain conditions and it gives me hope for a pain-free future.”