Here at the London Pain Clinic, our world-class Pain Doctors are always abreast of the latest research on long-term pain. To that end, we would like to share details of a recently released study. This comes from innovative research undertaken by scientists at the University of Aberdeen, the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Dr Robert Banks, a visiting researcher in Biosciences at the Institute of Durham University [1.2], and “a group of international experts who say that the discovery brings hope for sufferers of chronic pain and fibromyalgia” [2].
Did You Know?
“Traditionally, chronic pain has been seen as simply a longer-lasting version of acute pain. However, [this] new research shows that it is a fundamentally different process involving separate biological mechanisms” [1]
Can This New Pathway Help Pain Specialists Target Long-Term Pain?
In contrast to acute pain in which the body reacts to injury, trauma or surgery, (and can normally be ameliorated with regular painkillers),;when it comes to long-term pain, the body does not respond in the same manner. And as our Pain Doctors regularly explain: “this is particularly significant for people living with conditions such as fibromyalgia, where pain is widespread, persistent, and often poorly understood” [1].
In light of the results of this new study, Pain Consultants may now to have to redefine the processes of long-term pain. Moreover, this “identifying of a unique pathway means that scientists can now begin to develop therapies that specifically target chronic pain without relying on conventional treatments that often prove ineffective” [1]. – A direction that we very much value here at the London Pain Clinic with our unique Holistic Personalised Treatment Plan. The latter of which incorporates the latest state-of-the-art cutting-edge therapies and injectables (including pain/nerve blockers).
Putting a Spotlight on the Research
University of Aberdeen’s Senior Lecturer in Neurosciences, Dr Guy Bewick, noted: “The discovery of the new pain pathway is described by the team as ‘a paradigm-shifting discovery that has fundamentally changed our understanding of human sensory systems and challenged the central dogma of pain biology that has been established in the past 50 years” [2]
The Role of Glutamate
The research team which was headed by Dr Bewick, learned that the molecule glutamate is released by muscles in order to trigger a very unusual receptor. (Glutamate refers to an amino acid (protein constituent) which works as a chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) in our brain. As a chemical messenger, glutamate’s role is to transmit a message. Glutamate receptors on the surface of the majority of our brain cells uptake glutamate. In response, the glutamine instructs the cells to carry out their specific function. For example, this could mean triggering a motor neuron, thus causing a muscle to contract).
This glutamine discovery ignited a collaboration with the Taiwan team, which determined that: “too much glutamate release activated pain nerves nearby making them permanently active and not switch off as they normally would. Crucially, they then discovered that blocking the newly discovered, highly unusual, glutamate receptor entirely stopped the chronic pain being triggered” [2]. Remarking on this groundbreaking finding, Dr Bewick stated: “this discovery means scientists can now start to develop new treatments specifically targeting this new pain pathway which does not respond to standard painkillers. This has the potential to help the many people whose pain is currently inadequately treated” [2].
Getting Help For Your Chronic Pain
The London Pain Clinic offers both online and in-person appointments with our Pain Doctors who can answer your questions, and tell you more about our proven leading-edge treatments.
References
[1]. Durham University (2025). “New Study Unlocks Pathway to Treat Chronic Pain.”
[2]. Aberdeen University (2025). “Groundbreaking discovery of ‘new’ pain target brings hope for those with chronic pain.”
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/24440/
