Last week we considered synapses and why they are important in osteopathy. This week we are looking at synapses in relation to their role in pain and health.

The body is a complex system, and understanding how it works is a never-ending process. One intriguing aspect of the body is the way it processes pain.

Pain is a complex and subjective experience that is influenced by a wide range of factors, including genetics, environment, and emotional state. Research has shown that understanding the role of neurological synapses can help us better understand pain and its impact on health.

A synapse is a junction between two nerve cells, where one nerve cell transmits a signal to another. Neurological synapses are responsible for transmitting information throughout the body, including pain signals.  When an animal experiences pain, it is because their nervous system is sending signals to their brain. These signals are transmitted through a network of synapses, which are responsible for processing the information and sending it to the appropriate part of the brain. However, did you know that until these signals reach the brain and become conscious, they are not known as pain, but rather as nociception? Only in the brain do these unconscious nociceptive impulses become conscious and are perceived as pain. If, however, the threshold within the synapse is not met, this nociceptive information is not passed on to the brain and, as such, will not be perceived as pain.

Research has shown that the way neurological synapses process nociceptive signals can have a significant impact on health. For example, chronic pain is a condition that affects many animals and can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Chronic pain can cause changes in the way neurological synapses process nociceptive signals, altering the synapse’s tolerance to the signal and lowering the threshold at which the signal is transmitted; this process is known as synapse plasticity and can lead to a cycle of pain and inflammation that can be difficult to break.

Understanding the role of neurological synapses not only helps us understand the role of pain in our animal patients but can also help find new ways to manage pain and improve the animal’s overall health. For example, research has shown that certain compounds found in natural herbs and spices can help regulate the way neurological synapses process pain signals, which can be used to develop new pain management strategies.

Whatever the approach, osteopathically, or pharmaceutically, neurological synapses play a critical role in our understanding of pain and its impact on health. Understanding how synapses work can help develop new pain management strategies and improve the overall health of our animal patients. While there is still much to learn about the way their bodies process pain, a better understanding of neurological synapses has already given new insights that can be used to improve our animals’ quality of life.

A key point of note as an owner is to ensure your osteopathic practitioner and vet know if you are giving your animal any supplements or natural remedies alongside veterinary-prescribed medication; this is not only due to the potential for adverse interactions or unwanted/unexplained presentations within your animal but also because it may modify the animal’s response and thus impact the findings on assessment which could in certain cases result in a delay in the correct medical intervention for your animal.