Pain is Not Just a Matter of Nerves
A recent study on pain has found that glial cells have an
important supporting role in an individual’s sensation of pain. Typically, when individuals experience pain
it is the result of neurons communicating tissue damage to the spinal cord and
then up to the brain where the sensation of pain is generated. However, this new research highlights the
fact that pain may not just be the result of firing neuronal cells, but that
non-neuronal glial cells are also involved.
Glial cells are located in both
the brain and spinal cord, and are some of the most common cells in the central
nervous system. These cells are
typically known for the supporting role they play in in the nervous system, providing
things such as material transport and fluid balance. However, when glial cells are activated, it
has been found that they can release messenger substances, specifically inflammatory
cytokines.
This response, researchers say, contributes to the amplification
of the sensation of pain as well as spreading pain to unaffected parts of the
body. The researchers say that this
discovery provides insight into previously unexplainable pain, and the effects
of opiates. They believe that this
discovery can help to explain why opiates have been shown to have a reduced effect
on pain over time, and pain associated with withdrawal.
The article also explained that many things, such as
environmental factors, neuroinflammatory diseases, and aspects of an individual’s
lifestyle can influence an individual’s glial cell system. This means that things such as depression,
chronic stress, lack of exercise, poor diet, etc. can have effects on an
individual’s glial system and could negatively impact pain felt by the
individual. The researchers suggested that
a healthy diet and exercise can have a positive impact on a person’s pain.
I found this article interesting because pain is
something that everyone experiences all the time, and it is intriguing to learn
that there are certain lifestyle changes that could change how you experience
pain. Additionally, we learned about
pain in class and how it is sensed by free nerve endings, and relayed through
the spinal cord to the sensory cortex in the brain, so I found it interesting
to learn about another piece of this system.
I also thought it was interesting that the researchers implied that this
discovery could offer insight into unexplained pain diseases. There are people with chronic pain that
doctors cannot find any explanation for, but it is possible that this discovery
could offer insight into the causes, and possible solutions.
Good article pain is endured differently from person to person and also pain tolerance is acquired. The body repairs quickly when healthy and longer if abused. It is important to eat a healthy diet and exercise for when the body has to be repaired it can function at a much quicker response time. Thanks for a good read
ReplyDeleteThanh Duong
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be an interesting read. Pain is everywhere and everybody endures differently and with tolerance is gained and acquired. I'm interested on how this new discovery and finding would help to identify these unexplained pain diseases and how they could help people to avoid them. It is true that with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise to avoid these problems and pain, but when the body needs to repair itself, the body has vital nutrients to allow itself to repair and produce a quicker response within the body. Great read and thank you.
I found this your post very interesting to read! I liked the point that you made about everyone feeling pain differently and it is true that people may have different tolerance levels. It is very interesting to think about the fact that someones environment and surroundings can have an impact on their ability to feel pain and the severity that they feel it. It makes me question if the sensation of pain is more of a psychological sensation than a biological make up. If someone who has endured a lot of pain and discomfort in their life would have a lower tolerance because it has happened so many times or a higher tolerance because they are used to the feelings. Along with that, it would be interesting to look at if people who experience pain more severely have a different make up of glial cells compared to another person. That could all bring us back to the point that you made about having a healthy lifestyle could have a positive impact on how an individual experiences pain. It would be very interesting to see an experiment being down that compares the experiences of pain on different lifestyles. Thanks for sharing! Great article!
ReplyDeleteAs we learned in class, glial cells respond to injury and disease by removing debris. These non-neuronal cells are also important for brain complexity and increase neural activity. Perhaps, increased neural activity could lead to better connection when pain is present. Nerve endings at the end of neurons respond to temperature and pain. Tissue injury can signal an inflammatory response like you discussed with the cytokine. Naturally beginning with a sharp pain, this may be related to amplification that you are relating to. This process is obviously crucial so that we can perceive pain. A drug abuser is likely to provoke some type damage to tissue or organs in the body, especially if they repeatedly use drugs. This might be a reason for why someone with their lifestyle may be negatively impacted by pain.
ReplyDelete