Is there finally a solution to fixing back pain?
A recent study suggests that specific cells within spinal disks might predispose some individuals to lower back pain, shedding light on why certain people experience discomfort due to degeneration in their spinal discs.
Senior study author Dmitriy Sheyn, a research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, noted the identification of these cells as potentially crucial in comprehending the origins of disc-related pain. Sheyn expressed optimism about leveraging this understanding to uncover novel treatment avenues.
While around 40% of adults endure lower back pain due to degenerating spinal discs, the precise trigger for pain arising from these changes remained elusive.
As spinal discs degenerate with age, the inner gel-like layers, lacking nerve endings, typically undergo drying and deterioration. However, the study suggests that when nerve endings from surrounding tissues infiltrate the disc during degeneration, it might lead to pain.
The research compared spinal discs from individuals experiencing lower back pain with those from pain-free individuals. The analysis revealed a higher concentration of specific cells within the discs of individuals experiencing pain, potentially linked to their discomfort.
Further experiments simulated disc degeneration conditions, demonstrating that healthy disc cells could transform into the type associated with pain under stressors like inflammation, acidity, tension, and compression.
In a pivotal experiment, the researchers placed pain-associated spinal disc cells alongside pain-signaling neurons generated from stem cells. These neurons began extending nerve fibers toward the cells associated with back pain, potentially transmitting pain signals to the brain. Conversely, healthy spinal disc cells did not elicit this response from pain-signaling neurons.
The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, hints at the prospect of reprogramming pain-related disc cells into healthy ones for new treatments. Additionally, supplementing painful discs with healthy cells might offer promise, potentially overpowering the pain-associated cells.
Dr. Mark Vrahas, chair of Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics, hailed these findings as transformative for back pain management, envisioning targeted therapies that could revolutionize orthopedic treatments, offering hope to millions globally.
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