(Newswire.net — April 16, 2013) Scottsdale, AZ — Women who suffer from chronic low back pain and sciatica may now point to a single culprit: a single gene variant that, surprisingly, suppresses it in men.
The research led by Professor Johannes Gjerstad of the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) a correlation between pain and a gene coding variant OPRM1 receptor as responsible for this paradox.
“In our study we were surprised to discover that the same gene variant may actually promote chronic pain in women and suppress pain in men,” says Prof. Gjerstad, Senior Researcher at the STAMI.
The Norwegian research project monitored 300 patients with a disc prolapse at Oslo University Hospital and at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen for one year after their admission. In the study, Prof. GJerstad and his team discovered that men recover more quickly from back pain compared to women.
In search for an explanation, the team took into account how gene variations play a part. Noting that both sexes may carry the same gene and that genetic variation is generally independent of gender, the team considered the variations in genes and the exceptions that may appear between men’s and women’s genes.
While more cases of disc prolapse in men are referred to hospitals than women, Prof. Gjerstad noted that in the course of the study, they “observed that the men recovered faster than the women.”
Referring to previous studies on animals that shed light about the gene coding for the OPRM1 receptor involved in pain regulation, the team took to reviewing the presence of the variant in the participating patients’ bodies.
They found out the following:
- Women with the gene variant often experienced twice as much pain than men who had the same
- After one year, those women reported an average intensity of around four (in a scale of 0 to 10)
- The men averaged two points
Lower back pain is common among people of both sexes. In Norway alone, up to 80 percent of the population has experienced lower back pain at some point in life. The Norwegian research, if verified by further collaborative work, may hold the key to understanding why some people develop chronic back pain after a prolapse and others do not. One of the most effective long term solutions was found to be developing the natural habit of sleeping on ones side, to remove pressure on the lumbar spine.
In a bid to manage pain, people resort to analgesics and other pain management therapies. While sleeping on one’s side is a simple solution, some people still struggle and require some additional support. Orthopaedic supports that encourage reduced lumbar spine pressure are proving to be of significant value to the majority of these cases.
One such noteworthy support is the “Knee T ©” which has been studied and proven to reduce pressure and pain while sleeping. Additionally, it is accepted by most medical insurance companies. The system is endorsed and prescribed by physicians and phsyio-therapists, bringing relief to the lives of many suffering from chronic back pain and sciatica.
More information about the Norwegian gene research may be viewed on this link.
Journal Reference:
- M. B. Olsen, L. M. Jacobsen, E. I. Schistad, L. M. Pedersen, L. J. Rygh, C. Roe, J. Gjerstad. Pain Intensity the First Year after Lumbar Disc Herniation Is Associated with the A118G Polymorphism in the Opioid Receptor Mu 1 Gene: Evidence of a Sex and Genotype Interaction. Journal of Neuroscience, 2012; 32 (29): 9831 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1742-12.2012