Pain affects almost all of us at one point or another, but there are a surprisingly limited number of options available for its treatment. Many of the methods that are currently available for the management of chronic pain come with a high risk of addiction and side effects. A new study by the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio may be one step towards changing that.
HealthDay News reported that the study showed that, at points of pain, the human body produces a substance similar to capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy. Study results also indicated that blocking the production of this substance could help to reduce or stop pain. The capsaicin-like chemicals in the body are a group of fatty acids called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OLAMs). This study is, for the first time, helping researchers understand the role these substances play in the biology of pain.
"This hypothesis suggests that agents blocking either the production or action of these substances could lead to new therapies and pharmacological interventions for various inflammatory diseases and pain disorders such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and others, including pain associated with cancer," said Kenneth Hargreaves, chair of the Department of Endodontics in the Dental School at the UT Health Sciences Center.
