Q; How can it be that my husband can withstand pain after injuries and during viruses while I suffer excessively with the same type of exposures?

A; We all have different pain thresholds. There are many different theories on why this occurs. Some researchers propose that we are born with different natural abilities to neutralize pain while other researchers feel we develop our abilities to combat pain through our life experiences and exposures.

A new study by Dr. Jon-Kar Zubieta et al., 2001, offers insight into the way the human body dampens pain, by producing and wielding natural opioids such as endorphins and enkephalins. The study demonstrated that the painful stimulus caused the notable opioid activity in regions of the brain associated with sensation and emotion. The experimental subjects demonstrated great individual variability in their response to pain, though all had pain stimulus of similar intensity. And the response correlated with activation of the opiod system (pain receptors in the brain)

Dr. Zubeta concluded "that this may help explain why some people are more sensitive, or less sensitive, than others when it comes to painful sensations. We show that people vary both in number of receptors that they have for these anti-brain chemicals, and in their ability to release the anti-pain chemicals themselves." Both these factors apparently determine emotional and sensory aspects of a painful experience. These variations may explain why some people respond to pain medication and some don’t. It may also explain why some people develop chronic pain conditions and others don’t.

Quote of the week; Yesterday’s endings are seeds for today’s beginnings.

Lewis Losoncy