MECHANISMS OF DISEASE - THE CONTROL OF PAIN IN PERIPHERAL TISSUE BY OPIOIDS

Pain can be effectively diminished by various endogenous mechanisms within the central nervous system. One region where these mechanisms have been well characterized is the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, in which impulses from peripheral nerves are modulated before they are transmitted centrally to evoke perception and response. Recent research has shown that, in addition to these mechanisms in the central nervous system, intrinsic modulation of nociception can occur at the peripheral terminals of afferent nerves. Specifically, these studies indicate that the immune system can interact with peripheral sensory-nerve endings to inhibit pain. This neuroimmune link was discovered during. © 1995, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.