Chronic Pain - Future Resolution?

After injury the body tries to heal itself. An inflammation will jump start the healing of damaged tissues but in some cases the inflammation never completely clears and a complex chronic pain syndrome develops and persists.

Recent research, reported by Claudia Sommer and Frank Birkleine in “The Scientist” of January 2012, shows that the clearing of these inflammatory factors from the body is required to reduce the pain and the chronic inflammation.

Experiments show that where mice were injected with “resolvins” within two days of injury suffered, there was less swelling and less pain (the injury was recreated by the injection of an inflammatory agent).

The “resolvins” are molecules naturally derived from Omega-3 fatty acids (such as found in oily fish) which were produced naturally by the mice in response to an inflammation. It was found that Aspirin enhanced this conversion. Aspirin catalysed the Omega-3 fatty acids into chemical forms which reduced swelling, but not before the important acute swelling had occurred which allowed healing to take place.

Researchers have begun to investigate whether chronic persistent pain might be the result of a learning response in neurones of the spine. It is thought that when pain persists the neuronal connections have strengthened making it easier to transmit a pain response and lowering the threshold at which something feels painful. Recent research shows that resolvins will block some such development which will result in less pain.

Resolvins, with further development and testing, may one day become a new pain killing drug specifically assisting those who might otherwise suffer years of chronic unresolved pain. In the meantime for a lay person it might be a good idea to eat a lot of salmon and mackerel in the early days after an injury!

"NewLaw's solicitors assist and understand clients with chronic pain. Where possible we refer our clients to specialist medical experts and persuade insurers to fund the best current treatment methods."

For more information please contact Elisabeth Roth on 0845 921 0945 or email Elisabeth.roth@new-law.co.uk.

30/01/2012