There is something else that can be blamed on your parents - your pain tolerance.
The latest research proves that just a minute variation in a single gene may responsible for pain tolerance. In other words, some people are able to tolerate more physical and emotional pain than others who flinch at the mere mention of the word.
The specialist Jon-Kar Zubieta, MD, and his team injected saline solutions into the jaw muscle of 29 people - simulating a jaw condition called also temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome. Simultaneously, they exposed the subjects to other both physical and emotional stress.
The findings are published in the February issue of Science.
The scientists discovered that individuals with a certain form of the gene, known as COMT, were able to withstand more severe pain in the jaw. Moreover, the investigators discovered that these people reported less pain and had fewer negative emotions resulting from pain.
The COMT gene enhances the production of a body enzyme involved in pain response, including part of the opioid system, the natural painkilling mechanism in the human body.
A lot of medical problems bring about lifelong, disabling pain. Researchers hope that by better understanding what produces pain in the body, healthcare providers may one day have better treatment possibilities that would allow chronic pain sufferers to get on with their lives.
