Chronic Pain

Researchers identify how cells control calcium influx

(Medical Xpress)—When brain cells are overwhelmed by an influx of too many calcium molecules, they shut down the channels through which these molecules enter the cells. Until now, the "stop" signal mechanism that cells ...

Neuroscience created May 09, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Pain can be contagious

(Medical Xpress)—The pain sensations of others can be felt by some people, just by witnessing their agony, according to new research.

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Human brain cells developed in lab, grow in mice

A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, UC San Francisco researchers have discovered, raising hope that these cells might one day be used to treat ...

Medical research created May 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Persistent pain after stressful events may have a neurobiological basis

A new study led by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers is the first to identify a genetic risk factor for persistent pain after traumatic events such as motor vehicle collision and sexual assault.

Medical research created May 02, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Chronic pain is pain that has lasted for a long time. In medicine, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has traditionally been determined by an arbitrary interval of time since onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since onset, though some theorists and researchers have placed the transition from acute to chronic pain at 12 months. Others apply acute to pain that lasts less than 30 days, chronic to pain of more than six months duration, and subacute to pain that lasts from one to six months. A popular alternative definition of chronic pain, involving no arbitrarily fixed durations is "pain that extends beyond the expected period of healing."

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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