Chronic pain treatment should include psychological interventions

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• University of Arizona Health Sciences · Jul 29, 2024 Study finds gaps in mental health care for people with chronic pain

  Researchers found that adults with chronic pain experience higher rates of anxiety and depression but access mental health care at lower rates. Only 44.4% of those with chronic pain received adequate treatment for their symptoms, compared to 71.5% without chronic pain.

• International Society for Stem Cell Research · Dec 12, 2025 Non-opioid ‘pain sponge’ therapy halts cartilage degeneration and relieves chronic pain

  A novel approach to chronic pain management uses induced pluripotent stem cell-derived peripheral pain-sensing neurons to treat osteoarthritis joint pain. The therapy, SN101, sequesters inflammatory pain factors without transmitting pain signals, preserving joint tissues and relieving chronic pain.

• Penn State · Apr 7, 2025 Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy improve chronic low back pain

  A new randomized clinical trial found that mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy improved physical function, quality of life, and reduced pain among adults with opioid-treated chronic low back pain. The benefits persisted for up to 12 months.

• Stanford University · Apr 1, 2026 Newly identified chronic pain circuit offers pathways to new treatments

  Researchers have mapped a brain circuit specific to chronic pain, suggesting a promising route to treatment. Silencing this circuit eased chronic pain while preserving acute pain responses in mice. The discovery raises the possibility of developing drugs that target this circuit to ease chronic pain without impacting acute pain.

• Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association · Jul 11, 2024 Understanding the roots of chronic pain

  A team of researchers has identified the PIEZO2 protein as a critical mediator of sensory signals that maintain chronic pain. The study found that gain-of-function mutations in the PIEZO2 gene can mimic the effects of chronic pain in C-fibers, suggesting a new target for pain medication.

• Wolters Kluwer Health · Jan 3, 2024 Pain is a major problem for individuals with traumatic brain injury

  A new study published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation found that approximately 60% of people living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience chronic pain, even up to 30 years after injury. Chronic pain can significantly worsen outcomes for individuals with TBI, and medications are often the most frequently used treatment.