SCIENCE AT ITS BEST –
Nov. 13, 2025 – Scientists have uncovered a hidden mechanism in the human body that can naturally silence pain without the risks of addiction or sedation. This discovery could redefine how chronic pain is treated, revealing that our own nerves may hold the key to lasting relief. Because this process takes place only within the peripheral nervous system, it does not cause the entire nervous system to “go to sleep.” As a result, these naturally produced peptides could offer pain relief without the dangerous side effects or risk of addiction associated with opioid drugs.Dr. Ganesan Baranidharan, a consultant in pain medicine in Leeds, said the findings could offer some hope to patients trying to manage daily chronic pain.
He said: “Chronic pain is one of the health service’s biggest problems.
“In clinics we try to manage pain with ‘self management’ – learning to live with pain – or we try to help where we can with physiotherapy, injections, or surgeries. However, some patients will have persistent pain needing medicines, and long-term use of nerve painkillers and opioids can cause significant side effects such as feeling like a zombie, memory impairment, etc.
“While some patients do really well on small dose opioids, we need more options to treat chronic pain. The more we can discover, and find appropriate drugs to treat certain conditions, the better for our patients.”
