This was a fascinating story, at least for me.
For many years, I had heard snippets about people who could not, or at least did not, experience any physical pain. This may sound good, although pain is also often a good indicator of danger.
“I could feel that my body was changing, but it didn’t hurt me,” recalled the woman, Jo Cameron, who is now 71. She likened it to “a tickle.” Later, she would tell prospective mothers, “Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as people say it is.”
This condition remained a mystery, but scientists feel that they may finally understand a bit more about why Ms. Cameron was able to live a life with relatively little pain and/or anxiety:
Scientists believe they now understand why. In a paper published Thursday in The British Journal of Anaesthesia, researchers attributed Ms. Cameron’s virtually pain-free life to a mutation in a previously unidentified gene. The hope, they say, is that the finding could eventually contribute to the development of a novel pain treatment. They believe this mutation may also be connected to why Ms. Cameron has felt little anxiety or fear throughout her life and why her body heals quickly.
Potentially, this could have an impact on the rest of us, as it may help to advance knowledge and ability to contain pain for us through better medications in the future. Dr. Stephen G. Waxman, a neurologist at Yale and author of “Chasing Men on Fire: The Story of the Search for a Pain Gene ” explained:
“Each of these mutations teach us something, and point to a particular gene as a potential target for new and more effective pain medications.”
A truly fascinating topic, with potentially endless possibilities to improve the quality of life for millions, and even potentially billions, of people around the world in the future, particularly as we grow older.
Please take a look at this New York Times article from Heather Murphy from last month:
At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why. by Heather Murphy March 28, 2019:
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