Neuromatrix plays key role in chronic pain

People who are in pain but have no identifiable injury or disease could have dysfunction within their pain neuromatrix, according to two articles in Psychosomatic Medicine.
Thanks to new imaging techniques, scientists have discovered that the pain neuromatrix is key to the processing of sensory, affective and cognitive components of pain.
The new research provides evidence of altered neural connectivity and activation within components of the pain neuromatrix in people with low back pain and irritable bowel syndrome.
Dr W G Stuart, comments in Psychosomatic Medicine that experts now have to work out how to translate their findings into practical help and treatments for people in chronic pain:
“Questions remain as to how best to transition from describing the neural correlates of disease to understanding mechanisms and providing treatments.”

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