Pain-Relieving System In The Body

Pain is an essential, unavoidable part of all life. Not only does it act as a mechanism for interpreting the physical state of the body, but it also acts as a teaching mechanism for recognizing and avoiding harmful conditions. Conversely, the body also has numerous pathways for relieving pain (Ossipov 2012). As the medical field advances, there is a strong push to find the safest and most effective ways to relieve pain. The most understood pain-relieving system in the body is the endogenous opioid system. The endogenous opioid system produces three opioids, which act as neurotransmitters to mediate and inhibit the transmission of pain stimulus (Holden, Jeong, and Forrest 2005).
Opiate drugs act on receptors of the endogenous opioid systems
the same ways as the naturally produced opioid neurotransmitters, and produce a similar analgesic response. Opiate drugs, such as morphine, codeine, and heroine, are derived from the sap extracted from the opium poppy plant. Although opioid derivatives are commonly used in health care, opiate have a high potential for abuse and addiction (Vuong et al. 2009). Since 1999, the number of unintentional overdose death from prescription pain relievers has more than quadrupled. In the United States it is estimated that 2.1 million people suffer from opioid addiction (Volkow 2014). With this frightening trend, there is an increased push to understanding the opioids.
Although opiate drugs are structurally similar to the opioids naturally produced in the body, and act on the same pathway, they have different outcomes. What is it about opioids that makes them addictive? In order to successful grapple with the rising opioid crisis it is essential to understand the all steps of the pain response. This includes the bodies internal pain pathway, the endogenous opioid system, and the pharmacology of opioid drugs.