Heat to Relieve Internal Pain

The old advice to hold a hot water bottle against an aching stomach given to us by our grandmothers has been scientifically proved. Medical experts at University College London showed that external heat can have the same beneficial effect on internal pain as a painkiller.

The results of the study presented to the Physiological Society conference were achieved by monitoring pain receptors within the cells when a source of external heat was used. Temperatures over 40 C were found to deactivate pain at molecular level by stimulating internal heat receptors and cutting out the effect of pain inducers.

Brian King, leader of the research, stated that external heat, like a bottle of hot water pressed next to the aching area of the body, will activate molecular heat receptors that, in turn, will block pain receptors found in the same cell. Also, this is most likely to work in the area of the body's organs that provide a "hollow" within, like the bowels or the uterus, and therefore will be very beneficial against colic, cystic or period pain.

The pain in these organs appears as a result of temporary decreasing in the blood flow that usually runs through them. The reduction of blood pressure when flowing through bowels or uterus leads to local tissue damage and activates pain receptors in the cells. But a source of external heat will block these ache-causing receptors and will make us feel relieved and comfortable.

The future consequences of this important discovery relate to developing a new kind of relief drugs that will block molecular pain receptors. This will be the main focus of further research based on the same subject, Brian King said for BBC News:

"The focus of future research will continue to be the discovery and development of pain relief drugs that will block these P2X3 pain receptors. Our research adds to a body of work showing that P2X3 receptors are key to the development of drugs that will alleviate debilitating internal pain."