Happy Monday! I hope you’re all staying warm and dry!

So, who knew!? A gene could be behind chronic pain? What does that mean for us now?

For some time it has been known that there is a gene that is behind how or if we feel chronic pain. Could it be possible then to block the gene that regulates electrical signaling? HCN2 is the genes name. Not having this gene means you are able to endure pain for a longer period of time. Could it be possible to block it? This is where research is going at this point.

Science Daily outlines the work that is being done in this area. …”this opens up the possibility of targeting drugs to block the protein produced by the gene in order to combat chronic pain.”

Wouldn’t that be amazing! In the meantime, there are a few things we can do to aleviate some of our pain. Get plenty of sleep, watch your weight, build strength so that your muscles bare some of your weight instead of just your joints, and ensure you have a good support network. It is known that depression can translate to chronic pain. So let’s get out and move, build some muscle and get our friends together!

Click on the link below if you’d like to read a bit more on this topic!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908145101.htm