Leveraging Endogenous Pain Modulation for Analgesia

Editorial| February 2024 Leveraging Endogenous Pain Modulation for Analgesia QiLiang Chen, M.D., Ph.D.; QiLiang Chen, M.D., Ph.D. 1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, California. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9588-1423 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar J. David Clark, M.D., Ph.D. J. David Clark, M.D., Ph.D. 2Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Anesthesiology Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Author and Article Information Accepted for publication October 13, 2023. This editorial accompanies the article on p. 272. Address correspondence to Dr. Chen: Anesthesiology February 2024, Vol. 140, 192–194. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000004812 Connected Content Article: Opposing Effects on Descending Control of Nociception by µ and κ Opioid Receptors in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Cite Icon Cite Get Permissions Search Site Citation QiLiang Chen, J. David Clark; Leveraging Endogenous Pain Modulation for Analgesia. Anesthesiology 2024; 140:192–194 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000004812 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll PublicationsAnesthesiology Search Advanced Search Topics: pain, pain management "Pain inhibits pain," a phenomenon whereby we perceive less pain from a noxious stimulus when a separate painful stimulus is applied to another part of the body, may seem paradoxical at first. However, this observation is firmly supported by pain science and is grounded in the complex interactions within the body's endogenous pain modulation system.1 Known as conditioned pain modulation in humans, or descending control of nociception in animals, this intrinsic ability to alter pain sensitivity gives us unique insights into how endogenous pain modulation shifts the balance between pain facilitation and pain inhibition in nociceptive processing. Dysfunction of this finely tuned system is a major contributing factor in several clinically significant chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, migraine headache, chronic postsurgical pain, and others.2 Some of the most widely used pain medications are thought to act through the endogenous pain modulation system. For instance, the... You do not currently have access to this content.