Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis feedback sensitivity in different states of back pain

The transition from acute to chronic pain has been associated with a number of peripheral and central physiological, psychological and psychosocial predictors, among them prominently also stress experience and stress reactivity (e.g., Flor, 2017; Vachon-Presseau, 2018). The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays an important mediating role in the relationship between stress and pain (e.g., McEwen and Kalia, 2010). In acute pain, higher baseline cortisol levels are associated with lower pain reports (Al ’Absi et al., 2002).
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research