Chronic back pain may have met its match with hormone treatment, scientists say
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- A new study from Johns Hopkins University suggests that parathyroid hormone (PTH), traditionally used to treat bone loss, may prevent and reverse chronic back pain by stopping pain-sensing nerves from growing into damaged spinal areas.
- The research found that PTH activates bone-building cells to produce the protein Slit3, which repels nerve fibers from infiltrating sensitive spinal regions, reducing pain associated with spinal degeneration.
- Synthetic PTH is already FDA-approved for osteoporosis, and some patients have reported unexpected back pain relief, supporting the hormone's potential as a disease-modifying treatment for spinal degeneration.
- While promising, the study highlights the need for further clinical trials and research to understand PTH's effects on the central nervous system and other genetic factors influencing spinal nerve growth.
- The findings, published in the journal Bone Research, could shift back pain treatment from symptom management to addressing the root cause of nerve infiltration in spinal tissues.
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