BI215-A: Principles of Genetics

I personally have had chronic pain due to a joint disorder that I have causing my joints to be too loose to function the way that they should and causing frequent dislocations. The most frequent type of chronic pain is in my shoulders due to the combination of over usage from swimming and the joint condition. Some unhealthy ways people treat and deal with chronic pain include overeating, abuse of prescription drugs and masking the pain with alcohol or cigarettes. Some healthy alternatives include exercise, which releases the body’s natural pain reliever, endorphins, physical therapy and massage therapy. The NOP coding genes are being targeted for gene therapy in the amygdala, specifically the central amygdala because stress from pain changes the activity of NOP in that region of the brain. Due to NOP receptors not binding well with opioid receptors, opioids can inhibit pain sensation in the amygdala. This is why when you are in pain at the hospital, they will sometimes give you morphine. Psychological factors greatly influence pain perception. I saw a video once of a compilation of videos of parents holding babies and hitting their own hand on a wall and dramatically rubbing the baby’s head and having a response to make the baby think they hit their head, and then the baby starts crying even though they never actually hit their head. As stated in the video, memories, emotional state, beliefs about pain, and expectations about treatment can all influence how much pain a person will experience. Also stated in the video was that people who believe they have no control over the pain will experience more intense pain than those who believe they have some control. Stress is another psychological factor that can influence pain because stress changes activity of NOP in the amygdala. Sometimes people under constant stress or high levels of stress experience tight muscles or pain in their neck/upper back region.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/the-best-and-worst-ways-to-cope-with-pain.aspx