Pain

Common ivy is better known as a garden invader or a rather attractive indoor plant that's prone to triggering allergies. Now, for the first time, it's been found to be very effective in blocking pain signals – by instead invading a key pain receptor.

A peptide hormone produced in the brain that triggers physiological changes in reproduction has been 'hacked' to create an effective, safe and non-invasive way to treat chronic gut pain. Scientists are calling it an entirely new class of painkiller.

Researchers have developed a non-addictive painkiller that remains inactive until it reaches sites of chronic pain. Instead of dulling the nerves that send the pain signals like other analgesics, this new pain pill directly addresses the underlying cause.

The ‘Ozempic drug,’ semaglutide, has been found to reduce moderately severe pain caused by knee osteoarthritis and improve physical functioning following weight loss, according to the results of a recent clinical trial by Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer.

Insect venom may seem like an unlikely ally in the discovery of new human pain treatments, but the latest findings into the "unique" way a small ant causes us such agony is a big leap forward – and one that's expected to progress rapidly.

In the first study of its kind, research has shown that run-walk sessions are an acceptable exercise for many people who suffer from chronic lower back pain. While it won't suit everyone, it may benefit, rather than hinder, health and pain management.

In the first study of its kind, excess abdominal fat has been associated with chronic pain, but the good news is that losing weight that can reduce waistlines could help relieve widespread musculoskeletal conditions and greatly improve quality of life.

New research has found that mindfulness meditation reduces pain by engaging a distinct brain pathway from the pathway activated by a placebo. The standalone analgesic effect that mindfulness produces could be leveraged to help people living with painful conditions.

A head-mounted ultrasound device has now completed two human trials. One showed how the targeted sound waves could improve pain symptoms, while another revealed a marked improvement in depression symptoms after just one session.

Two innovative new developments have demonstrated that degraded cartilage can be regrown, first with 'dancing molecules' that target the protein needed for tissue regeneration, secondly with a hybrid biomaterial that stimulates cartilage growth.

In a fascinating discovery, scientists have pinpointed just what happens in our brains when we're expecting pain relief but are unknowingly given a placebo. It reveals just how powerful the mind is in moderating physiological responses such as pain.

Damage to knee cartilage and bone can limit mobility and cause chronic pain. Now, researchers have developed an off-the-shelf synthetic ‘plug’ that heals the joint and could be an alternative to current treatments like total knee replacement surgery.