Chronic Pain: the Body’s Own Painkillers and Placebos

Researchers like Prof. Zieglgänsberger are investigating whether pain memory can also be erased. The body should learn to forget. The body’s own systems are a key to this, such as “endocannabinoids,” which are marijuana-like substances produced by the brain. Researchers are working intensively on how to promote these processes. Researchers abroad are also working on new methods of pain therapy.

Painkillers in saliva?

It may soon be possible to isolate an endogenous painkiller and use it without side effects. Because scientists have now discovered that humans produce an endogenous painkiller in their saliva. It is said to be even more effective than morphine.

Responsible for this is a small protein called opiorphin, which quiets pain very effectively, as the scientists report in the journal “Proceedings” of the U.S. Academy of Sciences. In experiments with rats, the opiorphin effectively relieved pain caused by inflammation. In addition, the treated rodents could walk longer over steel nails than non-treated conspecifics.

Opiorphine is a morphine-like substance – it plays a key role in pain perception, but also regulates emotional responses. Opiorphine and related substances activated an analgesic mechanism in the body, the scientists report.

The substances probably inhibited the breakdown of the body’s own endorphinshormones that reduce the sensation of pain and cause feelings of happiness. In the long term, opiorphin could therefore be used in pain therapy and for mood disorders.

In a next step, the researchers want to find out what circumstances in the body cause the natural production of opiorphin.

Placebos work

Research into the effects of placebos – dummy drugs – is also improving. Turin scientist Fabrizio Benedetti, for example, found out how important it is that patients know nothing about the placebos and expect an improvement in their pain condition – in theory, this makes everyone susceptible to placebos. Dr. Karin Meissner of the Institute of Medical Psychology at the University of Munich has shown that targeted placebo effects are even possible on organs.

In one experiment, for example, 18 healthy people, divided into three groups, were each given a tablet on different days without any active substance. All participants were formed in that the drugs increase, decrease or do not affect gastric activity. The researchers measured stomach activity half an hour before and after placebo administration.

At the same time, they recorded the heart rate, respiration and electrical skin resistance of the subjects.

The result: the subjects reacted with significantly altered stomach movements – the other organs, however, showed no change. Karin Meissner is conducting further studies in which placebo drugs are used to lower blood pressure. The placebo researcher Benedetti was also able to successfully show something similar in patients who applied a drug-free cream for pain in their hands and feet.