About 30 million American suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain that is not associated with cancer, according to the American Pain Society. Now, researchers at the University of California at Davis have discovered data that may provide a way in the future to develop new approaches to understand and manage that pain.

Lead researcher Bora Inceoglou says, “The interaction of many complex biological pathways is essential for the development of persistent pain, whether inflammatory or neuropathic.” The research focused on rodents and showed that pain can be reduced by inhibitation of sEH (soluble epoxide hydrolas, an enzyme) and stabilization of natural epoxy-fatty acids. These findings confirmed an earlier study.

“This permits normal pain responses that serve to protect us from tissue damage to remain intact, while alleviating debilitating pain,” said co-author and pain neurobiologist Steven Jinks, associate professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine. For more information about the study and potential for future development of treatments to alleviate chronic pain visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218639.php.