Lead researcher, neuroscientist Terence Coderre, said the central nervous system remembers pain experiences and can magnify the pain sensation.
“Perhaps the best example of a pain memory trace is found with phantom limb pain,” said Dr. Coderre in the report. “Patients may have a limb amputated because of gangrene, and because the limb was painful before it was amputated, even though the limb is gone, the patients continue to feel they are suffering from pain in the absent limb. That’s because the brain remembers the pain. In fact, there’s evidence that any pain that lasts more than a few minutes will leave a trace in the nervous system.”
The study has been published in the Molecular Pain journal.
Related Articles on Pain Management:
NIH Announces Members of Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee
The Future of Evidence-Based Medicine in Pain Management: Q&A With Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
FDA Approves Medasys Implantable Programmable Drug Pump for Pain Management
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
