For many of us pain is a fact of life, yet its mechanisms remain one of medicine's greatest mysteries. It is difficult to devise more effective treatments for pain relief until we have a better understanding of the interaction between nerves, spinal cord, blood, tissue and brain. Quentin Cooper talks to Professor Patrick Wall and Professor Anthony Dickenson about the current state of knowledge of pain. Patrick Wall invented the Tens (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) pain-relief system, which transformed the experience of childbirth for millions of women. Anthony Dickenson is the professor of neuropharmacology at University College London.
Producer John Watkins. E-MAIL: material.world@bbc.co.uk
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