There are three principles of pain relief that are cons istent throughout the various technologies and medications that are available for treating pain . These are :

Blocking signals that rel a y pain between nerves
Supporting or improving th e systems in the body that inhibit pain signals from being passed on
Blocking the ability of nerve cells to carry pain signals by interfering with electrical impulses that travel through nerve s .

Long before artificial methods of dealing with pain and suffer ing were developed , the human bod y had de vised ways of dealing with unpleasant sensations on its own . These natural ly occurring methods have long been the blueprints that doctors and scientists have used in developing new methods of pain relief .

S cientists have uncovered the ways in which the pituitary gland and the brain team up to release pain-suppressing proteins. These are called endorphins . S cientists discovered endorphins after realizing that the body itself seemed to have natural receptors for these types of pain inhibiting substances. Endorphins were first discovered in 1975 , and since then there have been various therapies developed that work in part by stimulating the releas e of endorphins. Aside from endorphins, there are other natural chemicals that help to block pain as well.

For example, while most neurotransmitters pass signals along from one neuron to another, there are some that actually inhibit pain signals from being sent. Understanding how these particular transmitters work has led to the development of pain medications that boost the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the body .

The Gate Control Theory is a theory that led to our understanding of how pain works in our bodies and mind s . It was introduced in 1965 , and was instrumental in introducing the concept of pain as having a biological basis that could be easily studied. This theory showed the medical community that pain was something that could be both studied and measured and potentially manipulated . The determining factor for the opening of a gateway that lets pain signals pass through is a balance between two sets of nerve fibers. When large nerve fibers that rel a y touch and pressure signals are activated, other fibers that send pain signals can be “scrambled” . That’s why it feels good to rub a sore spot.

This theory had a significant effect on the kinds of medicine that have been developed and that doctors can now prescribe. For the first time , scientists have sought to combat pain by stimulating other kinds of nerves in much the same way as a person might rub an injured area.