Persistent pain affects as many as 28 million people in the UK, but emerging science around how brains respond to pain points to new strategies for relief. Brain scans and neural mapping show that our minds play a crucial role in pain control, and failing to manage pain can lead to permanent changes in brain pathways. The good news is that this understanding is paving the way for better pain relief with fewer side effects.
New Understanding of Pain Pathways
Dr Nisa Aslam, a GP and advisor to Combogesic, a new over-the-counter pain relief medicine combining 500mg paracetamol and 150mg ibuprofen, says: “Pain is one of the most common problems we see in general practice and it has a huge impact on a patient’s overall wellbeing and quality of life. It’s very exciting to see how new research is improving our understanding of pain pathways and paving the way for a more joined-up approach to pain management.”
Doctors distinguish between acute pain, which signals injury, and chronic pain, which persists after healing. Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that these two types are activated by different neural pathways. Professor Xiaoke Chen explains: “A surprise to us was that acute pain and chronic pain can be completely separate. There is a dedicated circuit that only activates after injury.” His team identified a second circuit that drives chronic pain and makes the brain hypersensitive to touch.
Placebo Power and Brain Mapping
A 2025 study at Manchester University confirmed the power of placebo: 237 patients with osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, or no pain were split into two groups. Half were told a local anaesthetic cream would be applied, half that they would get an inactive cream. In both cases, there was a “significant reduction in pain in the placebo group.”
Researchers at Sydney University used functional MRI scans to map a built-in brain pain relief system linked to cannabinoid receptors. Lead author Dr Lewis Crawford says: “The brain’s natural pain relief system is more nuanced than we thought. We now have a blueprint for how the brain controls pain in a spatially organised way.”
Combination Pain Relief
The latest research shows that combining paracetamol and ibuprofen in a 3.3:1 ratio provides optimal pain relief without gastric risks. Combogesic is the only UK product using this ratio, with 500mg paracetamol and 150mg ibuprofen — 50mg less ibuprofen than other combined medicines. A single dose is clinically proven to be 80% more effective than paracetamol alone and 30% more effective than ibuprofen alone, and it provides pain relief 18 minutes faster than ibuprofen alone. It is available at Boots, Superdrug, independent pharmacies, and Amazon.
Hunger and Pain
Professor Nicholas Betley at the University of Pennsylvania found that hunger can act as a powerful painkiller for chronic pain. He says: “What we’re showing is that the problem may not be in the nerves at the site of injury, but in the brain circuit itself.” Dr Nisa Aslam notes: “It is still very early days, but the hope is that these discoveries could lead to new therapies which help chronic pain becoming established.”
Professor Toby Newton-John (half-brother of singer Olivia) says two-thirds of chronic pain patients turn to comfort eating, but Dr Aslam cautions: “Obesity can exacerbate musculoskeletal pain and increase systemic inflammation.” His research confirms almost 40% of study participants were obese, warning comfort eating “can trap people in a spiral that’s very hard to break.”
Music and Mindfulness
A meta-analysis of nine randomised trials in 787 patients found that 20 minutes of music therapy relieves pain and depression, especially when patients select their own music. A McGill University study found music therapy is more effective when it mirrors the patient’s natural rhythm. Researchers at Murdoch University discovered that perfectionists report higher pain levels; Dr Graeme Ditchburn suggests interventions aimed at increasing self-compassion may help.
