New research uncovers unexpected links between sleep deprivation and pain sensitivity. The findings may have significant implications for pain management therapies.

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that more than 25 million adults in the United States live with chronic pain, and almost 40 million adults have experienced severe pain in the past 3 months.

Any pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks is considered to be chronic. Chronic pain can be a consequence of injury, an underlying illness, or it may have no known cause.

Many people resort to complementary medical practices such as yoga or meditation to ease the pain. New research, however, examines the link between sleep deprivation, pain sensitivity, and common painkillers, and finds surprising connections. In the future, these findings could help patients with chronic pain to better manage their discomfort.

The study was carried out by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), both in Boston, MA,

Source: Nature Medicine.