Pain Relief

New research led by scientists from UT Southwestern suggests a novel combination of three old antibiotics may be repurposed into an alternative to opiates for a particular kind of nerve pain.

Spider venom isn’t normally something you want in your body, but there might be exceptions. Australian researchers have identified two peptides from tarantula venom that show promise in blocking organ pain, working particularly well in mice with IBS.

New research is presenting evidence that cannabis can significantly reduce the severity of headaches and migraines. But the question remains: why are scientists coming up with such discordant results on whether cannabis can reduce pain?

Australian researchers have discovered a fungus in Tasmania that produces novel molecules with similar activity to opioids. These never-before-seen molecules may have similar analgesic properties to morphine but without its dangerous side effects.

By studying the way pain works in injured fruit flies, scientists have for the first time uncovered evidence that its effects can be long-lasting, something they say opens up new opportunities for more effective treatments for chronic pain in humans.

A new study has developed a novel method to tame one of the world’s most potent toxins, tetrodotoxin, commonly found in the pufferfish. The research demonstrates a way to control the spread of the toxin and harness it into a local anesthetic that can numb targeted regions for up to three days.

Mole-rats are pretty amazing animals, with a remarkable resistance to pain. A new study has uncovered the molecular reasons for the pain insensitivity, which could eventually lead to new pain relief techniques for human use.

A woman in Scotland has been found to have a previously-unknown genetic mutation that makes her almost completely immune to pain. Her wounds heal faster and she seems to have less anxiety and fear. Geneticists are now studying the genes responsible to uncover new potential treatments for pain relief

A team of researchers has developed a new method that is claimed to objectively measure pain levels. The system uses electroencephalography (EEG) to identify oscillations in certain brainwaves that have been found to clearly correlate with commonly used pain assessment tools.

​Researchers at Northwestern University have shown that sugar pill placebos are as effective as any drug on the market for relieving chronic pain in people with a certain brain anatomy and psychological characteristics.

Researchers appear to have found a promising alternative to opioid pain killers in the form of a chemical compound called AT-121. With promising results seen in non-human primates, hopes are high the compound will work just as well in people.

An experimental, non-opioid drug known as EMA401 is showing promise, and now researchers at Washington University in St Louis have found that it works by targeting a different part of the body, outside of the nervous system.