Franklin resident Diane Grich admits she was surprised when she was asked if she would like to try acupuncture instead of a more invasive medical procedure to address the chronic lower back pain that had troubled her off and on for 17 years; she chose acupuncture.

Kristin Archer, PhD, DPT, associate professor and vice chair of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, will serve as principal investigator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) for a clinical trial that is examining strategies for reducing opioid use among patients with chronic pain.

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that variation in the gene encoding the potassium channel GIRK1 plays a role in modulating human pain perception.

Patients with chronic pain who are covered by the Vanderbilt Employee Health Care Plan or workers’ compensation system can now enroll in an innovative rehabilitation program that could dramatically change how chronic pain is treated.

The spinal cord’s neuropeptide Y signaling pathway may be a good target for new pain therapeutics.