By Torben Haugaard Jensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Pain is the most common reason for seeking medical advice. But all too often, the doctor is unable to help the patient and treat the pain. Every year, one in five adult suffers from persistent pain worldwide.

This can for instance be chronic pain in the lower back, neck or back, which is often debilitating for the patient. Pain can also lead to long-term sick leave, with great cost to society.

Now, researchers at Aalborg University have received DKK 40 million from the Lundbeck Foundation to investigate whether it is possible to identify which people are at risk of developing chronic pain.

This will make it possible to improve future pain management, says Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Professor in the Department of Health Science and Technology and Head of the Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) at Aalborg University.

"The treatment of chronic pain today is inadequate. No new effective medical treatments have been launched for many years. We need new knowledge," says Thomas Graven-Nielsen. 

Stimulating the brain should relieve pain

According to Thomas Graven-Nielsen, it is crucial that we gain a better understanding of who is at risk of developing chronic pain.

"This will allow us to offer earlier, more targeted pain management. At the same time, we can avoid the many side effects we know from other types of pain medicine, for example opioids," says Thomas Graven-Nielsen.

In the new research project, he will investigate how the brain can maintain pain with little or perhaps no information about pain from the part of the body where the pain began.

"When we experience acute pain, our nervous system reacts with different responses that may be perceived as protective for the body. We will try to change the responses that are not appropriate for the body by stimulating the brain. This way, we hope to improve the condition of pain," says Thomas Graven-Nielsen.

A major recognition

Pain research is an important area of focus for Aalborg University, and Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, is delighted about the grant.

"A big thank you to the Lundbeck Foundation for the impressive grant to Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen in recognition of his excellent and pioneering research in the field of pain. The grant will enable continued ground-breaking research and development in an area that will positively benefit future pain patients," says Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.