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 Researchers focused on stressful life events that might occur in
children’s households during pregnancy or early childhood such as
pregnancy complications, the death of a close friend or family
member, marital problems or breakups, job loss or other financial
hardships, or residential moves. Then, researchers tested pain
sensitivity for 1,065 participants when they reached 22 years old.
“Significant life stress is known to result in changes to the body’s
biological systems partially by modifying gene expression,” said Rob
Waller, lead author of the study and a researcher at Curtin
University in Perth, Australia.
Stress can start processes that activate genes associated with
inflammation and deactivate genes that might help fight off
infections, Waller said by email. This is why stress has been linked
to a range of common inflammatory-related diseases including
diabetes and certain cancers.
And, “a pro-inflammatory state can prime the nervous system and is a
key mechanism underlying higher pain sensitivity,” Waller added.
“While not a prerequisite, higher pain sensitivity may ultimately
increase the risk for persistent pain.”
The study looked at two types of pain sensitivity – response to
pressure and response to cold.
More problematic child behaviors at age 2 were associated with less
pressure pain sensitivity at age 22, the study found.
In addition, early life stressors and more dysfunctional family life
were associated with increased odds of having high cold pain
sensitivity at 22 years, researchers report in the journal Pain.
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The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether
or how early life exposure to stressors might directly impact pain
responses years later. Researchers also lacked data on so-called
lived pain experiences, such as painful injuries or surgeries, that
children might experience early in life and that might impact their
response to pain as adults.
Even so, the results suggest that people with exposure to stressors
in early childhood might want to consider therapies aimed at
addressing these experiences if they are living with debilitating
pain, Waller said.
“For some people with persistent pain that is interfering with their
daily life, the influence of previous or current life stress may be
an important consideration,” Waller said.
“Acknowledging these contributions to how much pain they feel and
learning how to successfully manage stress can improve an
individual’s control of their pain and improve quality of life,”
Waller added. “Strategies to better manage stress include:
mindfulness meditation and relaxation techniques, regular exercise,
good sleep habits, psychological strategies to develop positive
stress coping responses and socializing.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/35JkDYm Pain, online September 21, 2019.
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