Think further downstream, beyond the pain sensing part of the brain.
So opioids are know to be great pain relievers. What is interesting is for certain types of pain, they don’t actually make the pain go away, they just change the perception and emotional response to it.
Patients who receive opioids say “i can still feel the pain, but it doesn’t bother me now”.
So to your question, the impact of opioids isn’t necessarily on the pain sensing centers but rather further downstream in terms of how those sensations are perceived.
If you take a placebo and expect it to relieve pain, your brain adjusts to assume that outcome.
It’s not that different than asking you if you’re tired right now. If you have to go to work you might say “yes”, but if you’re about to jump on a plane for a vacation you might say “no”.
So opioids are know to be great pain relievers. What is interesting is for certain types of pain, they don’t actually make the pain go away, they just change the perception and emotional response to it.
Patients who receive opioids say “i can still feel the pain, but it doesn’t bother me now”.
So to your question, the impact of opioids isn’t necessarily on the pain sensing centers but rather further downstream in terms of how those sensations are perceived.
If you take a placebo and expect it to relieve pain, your brain adjusts to assume that outcome.
It’s not that different than asking you if you’re tired right now. If you have to go to work you might say “yes”, but if you’re about to jump on a plane for a vacation you might say “no”.