Chronic Pain News and Research

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Expert consensus statement outlines shared medical appointments to improve chronic disease care

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has published an expert consensus statement identifying best practices for delivering lifestyle interventions through shared medical appointments (SMAs), a care model that combines individualized medical care with group support.

8 Oct 2026

A study spanning 118 countries reveals a divide in pain and aging

Global pain trajectories indicate that while some pain types peak early, musculoskeletal pain increases with age, challenging aging assumptions.

8 Oct 2026

Warning signs for chronic pelvic pain emerge during adolescence

A new McMaster University study of nearly half a million people has found that many people who go on to develop chronic pelvic pain (CPP) may have been showing warning signs years before diagnosis, offering a potential opportunity to identify people at increased risk earlier in life.

7 Oct 2026

Long-term opioid use does not improve chronic back pain outcomes

Taking opioids for years does not seem to improve pain and functioning in people with chronic back pain, according to a new Northwestern University study that compared 70 long-term opioid users to 70 similar patients not taking opioids.

6 Oct 2026

Blood protein patterns may help explain pain levels in sickle cell disease

A small pilot study led by a Rutgers researcher has found differences in blood proteins between people experiencing high and low levels of pain from sickle cell disease, findings that may inform research on new treatments and better pain management.

6 Oct 2026

Study identifies RGS4 protein as potential target for chronic pain

Chronic pain can continue long after an initial injury. When a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord (a peripheral nerve) is damaged and does not heal properly, it keeps sending constant pain signals.

6 Oct 2026

Targeting the brain's Default Mode Network may help better manage chronic low back pain

Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

6 Oct 2026

Cannabis products associated with sustained improvements in patients with inflammatory arthritis

The sustained use of medical cannabis preparations provides safe and effective relief for patients with inflammatory arthritis, according to observational data published in the journal Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders.

6 Oct 2026

Chronic postsurgical pain affects women long after cesarean delivery

A new synthesis of global evidence, published in Anaesthesia (the journal of the Association of Anaesthetists), finds that chronic postsurgical pain after cesarean delivery is associated with substantial impairment in women's quality of life and everyday functioning in the months and years after giving birth.

25 Sep 2026

Less is more: Exercise rivals common pain meds

From osteoarthritis to a splitting migraine, when you’re experiencing pain, exercise can seem like the last thing you want or think you should do. But according to new Adelaide University research it could be one of the most effective ways to help ease your symptoms.

24 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs may influence chronic pain through gut-brain and immune pathways

Researchers reviewed evidence linking GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists to chronic pain modulation through gut microbial, neuroimmune, vagal, and metabolic pathways, with the strongest clinical evidence currently involving knee osteoarthritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension headache. Much of the proposed biology remains supported by preclinical research, and human studies have yet to establish that GLP-1RA-induced changes in the gut microbiome directly cause pain relief.

24 Sep 2026

Exercise offers broad pain relief across acute and chronic conditions

From osteoarthritis to a splitting migraine, when you're experiencing pain, exercise can seem like the last thing you want or think you should do. But according to new Adelaide University research it could be one of the most effective ways to help ease your symptoms.

23 Sep 2026

New slow-release drug delivery system provides weeks of pain-numbing anesthetic effects

Most local anesthetics used in medicine only last eight to 12 hours or a day tops. Now Boston Children's Hospital researchers have formulated a more effective slow-release injectable drug delivery system that achieved pain-numbing anesthetic effects lasting two to three weeks in rats compared to a commercial formulation lasting about four to eight hours.

23 Sep 2026

Group medical visits provide social support for chronic pain patients

More than one in five U.S. adults lives with chronic pain, which isolation and stigma can worsen. Group medical visits allow multiple patients with a common condition to receive care alongside health education and peer support.

21 Sep 2026

Post-concussion irritability linked to PTSD, chronic pain, and auditory difficulties

New research from the CU Anschutz Marcus Institute for Brain Health shows that irritability is strongly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, chronic pain and difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments among military veterans with chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion.

17 Sep 2026

Wearable electroceutical platform enables remote wireless pain management

A "wearable electroceutical" has been developed that could reduce the need to visit a hospital or rely on painkillers every time pain occurs.

15 Sep 2026

Review highlights solute carriers as targets for central nervous system disorders

Solute carriers (SLCs) are specialized transport proteins that control the movement of nutrients, ions and neurotransmitters across cell membranes and are essential for brain metabolism and neuronal communication.

10 Sep 2026

Psilocybin microdosing sounds promising, but the strongest studies tell a different story

A systematic review of 11 studies involving 3,262 adults found that psilocybin mushroom and truffle microdosing was associated with reported improvements across areas including mental health, well-being, cognition, creativity, and social functioning. However, the evidence was methodologically weak and highly heterogeneous, the two placebo-controlled trials found no significant improvements, and inadequate adverse-event reporting means efficacy and safety remain uncertain.

7 Sep 2026

Colorectal tumors may damage nerves before chemotherapy

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that, in preclinical models of colorectal cancer, tumors can start damaging peripheral nerves before chemotherapy begins.

19 Aug 2026

OIST startup aims to develop effective pain relief without severe side effects

For severe and chronic pain management, opioids are often the only option. This class of drugs comes with well-documented risks, including addiction, respiratory problems and overdose.

18 Aug 2026