Inflammation May Curb, Not Cause, Chronic Pain

Suppressing inflammation may be counterproductive for long-term pain relief

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In Brief:

• Challenging previous notions about inflammation and pain, scientists found that a robust initial inflammatory response appears to protect against chronic pain rather than contribute to it.
• The findings suggest that suppressing inflammation to treat acute musculoskeletal pain may be counterproductive for long-term pain relief.

Many of us have felt the ache of a thrown-out back or a sore jaw that makes chewing difficult. This pain, though sometimes agonizing, usually resolves on its own and is referred to as acute pain. But in some cases, acute pain becomes chronic and persists for months or years, and scientists don’t entirely understand why.

Researchers have long thought that inflammation, a key part of the body’s healing process, when excessive or prolonged, is somehow involved in the switch from acute to chronic pain. But a new study turns that thinking on its head, finding that inflammation, rather than contributing to the development of chronic pain, appears to help curb it. The NIDCR-supported study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that painkillers that work by suppressing inflammation might be counterproductive for relieving pain in the long run. The results also lend new insights into healing, potentially explaining how activities that stimulate the immune system to produce inflammation—such as exercise, massage, and heat therapy can often help resolve pain.