Causes of chronic pain can be due to different core conditions. Aging can affect bones and joints and even cause neuropathy in some. Poor posture, overweight, traumatic injury, a curvature of the spine, rheumatic arthritis, and fibromyalgia are some other underlying causes of chronic pain. In some cases, hormonal imbalance is also a possible contributor to chronic pain. Health care providers strive to find out curative ways to deal with the different chronic pain symptoms of patients. In this article, we will cover how hormonal therapy can be a viable treatment for chronic pain.
Low Testosterone and Chronic Pain
Testosterone levels generally decrease after the age of 30. Even babies and young children can have this problem. Low testosterone levels or also called male hypogonadism is a concern where the male reproductive glands are unable to produce enough testosterone (male sex hormone). The inability to maintain the balance affects the muscle mass, normal levels of red blood cells, and bone density. The potential causes for so besides age are an injury, chemotherapy for cancer, hemochromatosis, dysfunction of the pituitary gland, medications, chronic illness, alcohol abuse, and many more.
Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain. It can cause inflammation, pain, swelling in the joints. Now, there are two forms of arthritis- osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have a low testosterone level, which is leading to weight gain, you are likely to develop osteoarthritis (OA). In such cases, you may experience pain in the knees, hips, back, wrists, fingers, and toes. The condition may also make your bones fragile. Testosterone can assist in maintaining bone density and support muscle strength.
The ingestion takes place in two ways- in a pill form or by topically applying a patch or gel. In a study, clinical researchers found testosterone therapy as more effective than a placebo in improving pain perception and tolerance.
Hormone therapy in pain management included two uses. In one way, administering corticosteroids into joints helped reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. The other way included the use of testosterone for patients with pain and using opioid therapy for pain management. Here are a few hormone replacement therapies that can help relieve pain.
Corticosteroids are the cortisol imitation drugs increasingly used to treat arthritis, reduce inflammation, helps in bone formation, and regulate blood pressure. These are available in the form of creams, tablets, injections, and inhalers. These drugs interact with the intracellular receptors, adjust gene expression, and inhibit the inflammatory effects by regulating cellular processes.
Testosterone Therapy
Patients seek testosterone replacement therapy, which is a common method for treating low testosterone. Chronic pain in patients leads to hyperarousal of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. It reduces cortisol and testosterone hormone in the body. Testosterone-Enanthate is one such anabolic steroid that can help treat low testosterone levels in men.The ingestion takes place in two ways- in a pill form or by topically applying a patch or gel. In a study, clinical researchers found testosterone therapy as more effective than a placebo in improving pain perception and tolerance.
Other Hormone Therapies for Treating Pain
Hormone therapy in pain management included two uses. In one way, administering corticosteroids into joints helped reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. The other way included the use of testosterone for patients with pain and using opioid therapy for pain management. Here are a few hormone replacement therapies that can help relieve pain.
Neurosteroids Therapy
These are steroid hormones naturally synthesized within the central nervous system. They regulate the glial cells and neurons in the brain. It has analgesic properties and influences various membrane receptors, especially the gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA. In simple words, neurosteroids can affect our nerve cells signally. A clinical test on 90 US military veterans on uses of neurosteroids highlights the potential of its benefits on treating chronic pain. On evaluating the use of pregnenolone, AP precursor, to alleviate chronic low back pain, the results found that neurosteroids have probable analgesic effects.Corticosteroids Therapy
Corticoids are a group of compounds found in the cortex of the adrenal glands. Glucocorticoids, a category of corticoids, are vital for the human body as it has anti-inflammatory effects. A study on cortisone (a glucocorticoid) shows its effectiveness in treating rheumatoid arthritis. From 1935-48 an American biochemist Edward C. Kendall along with two others made observations on the use of cortisone on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These clinical trials were successful and also awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in the year 1950.Corticosteroids are the cortisol imitation drugs increasingly used to treat arthritis, reduce inflammation, helps in bone formation, and regulate blood pressure. These are available in the form of creams, tablets, injections, and inhalers. These drugs interact with the intracellular receptors, adjust gene expression, and inhibit the inflammatory effects by regulating cellular processes.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin hormone therapy works as an analgesic substance and influences the central nervous system mechanism directly. It has two roles to play- one as a neurotransmitter in the CNS and the other as a peripheral hormone. It reduces the pressure of stress and anxiety by influencing the nociceptor neurons, which are responsible for sending the pain signals. There is a study that supports the analgesic effects on chronic pain and confirms its role in nociception and pain reception. The finding supports oxytocin as an effective treatment of deep tissue chronic pain conditions. As a therapy, healthy foods like eggs, bananas, or even sensory stimulations like a warm touch can release high levels of oxytocin.