Half a Century Ago, Chronic Pain Baffled Scientists

Science and the sources of pain — Science News, October 26, 1974

Chronic pain is no small problem for thousands of Americans. They take analgesics, sedatives or tranquilizers. They seek out chiropractors, acupuncturists or even miracle workers. Often they are not helped, at least over the long run…. The reason that so many people aren’t getting relief from pain is that clinicians still aren’t sure what pain is and how to treat it. 

Chronic pain still puzzles scientists, but they now know that the underlying mechanisms involve a complex confluence of factors. The nervous and immune systems, emotions, age and sex all play a role. That understanding has propelled research into better diagnostics and treatments. For instance, scientists have recently identified a potential biomarker for chronic pain — activity in a brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex (SN: 5/22/23). The finding suggests that it is possible to track pain in the brain. And a drug called suzetrigine, which curbs pain by blocking a sodium ion channel on pain-sensing cells, is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (SN: 9/5/24).