1. An epidural prevents pain signals from traveling along the spinal cord to the brain. 2. Bortolotti said he believed that the chemical in red pepper, capsaicin, worked by blocking nerves that transmit pain signals from the gut to the brain. 3. A battery implanted under the skin delivers a slight electrical charge that modulates pain signals. 4. Derived from sea snail venom, it is designed to block calcium channels in nerve cells of the spine, interrupting the flow of pain signals to the brain. 5. During the procedure, an electrical current is passed through the needles, apparently disrupting normal pain signals by stimulating local nerves. 6. Drugs regimens are an option, as are surgical implants of devices designed to interrupt pain signals to the brain. 7. Experts now believe that without treatment, even short-term pain can lead to nerve injuries that keep pain signals firing long after an injury has healed. 8. First, it contains capsaicin, a substance found in hot peppers, which relieves pain by interfering with pain signals to the brain. 9. Glutamate is required to trigger changes in the receiving nerve cell that would carry the pain signal forward to the next nerve cell. 10. He explained that changes in atmospheric moisture could ignite inflamed joints, as in arthritis, or trigger pain signals in the area of a surgical scar. |