Chronic pain patients often want nothing more than a day without discomfort. “For them, it is a continuous suffering, often associated with crises and little joy in life,” Dr. Wolfgang Sohn, pain therapist and expert advisor of the German Green Cross e. V . in Marburg, describes the problem. But if you think about it: without pain, life would be nothing. Only a few people make this painful experience. But it hits them very hard.
Analgesia
People born with congenital insensitivity to pain have scarred skin by preschool age. “Constant injuries occur because they no longer feel anything – no blow, no burns, no cuts,” explains the Kempen pain expert. When romping, children know no limits. Broken bones are the order of the day, mutilations are not uncommon. “Even more dangerous are injuries that are not recognizable from the outside or, for example, appendicitis,” emphasizes Sohn. There are no warning signals. Here, any help can come too late.
In addition to congenital insensitivity to pain, also called congenital analgesia, there are also acquired forms. “Neuropathies, i.e. diseases of the nervous system, or an infection with the leprosy bacterium – not uncommon in developing countries – can likewise have a strong influence on the sensation of pain,” the expert knows. The nerves die or transmit the stimulus information only inadequately. “Here, too, there is then the danger of no longer feeling injuries,” Sohn continues.
Hypoalgesia
In contrast to analgesia, which is the complete absence of pain sensations, however, there is also the state of hypoalgesia. “Hypoalgesia is a temporary phenomenon,” emphasizes the pain expert. The sensation of pain is merely diminished. This is caused by physical stress, such as intense exercise or childbirth.
“The stress probably activates central pain-inhibiting mechanisms,” explains Sohn.
The irritation of certain nerves in the muscles triggers a whole range of physical reactions, including the release of hormones. Although the exact process is not yet clear, studies have shown that after physical exertion, the pain threshold in fingers and teeth was raised. “Hypoalgesia, unlike analgesia, however, seems to exert a protective function on the body,” Sohn says.
Therapy
There is no treatment option for analgesia. Hypoalgesia does not require treatment. About an hour after physical exertion, symptoms disappear on their own. “It is possible, however, that interesting approaches for the treatment of pain patients will emerge from research into hypoalgesia,” hopes the pain expert. The activation of the body’s own pain brakes is an important co-factor in the therapy of chronic pain.