It has long been a mystery why some individuals are especially prone to develop chronic back pain while others are not. The answer now appears to be genetic.
A common cause of low back pain is degenerative disc disease (DDD) – an age-related condition in which the discs dry out, become brittle and are easily torn or fractured. As the disc deteriorates, sensory nerves within the disc become painfully exposed.
A common cause of low back pain is degenerative disc disease (DDD) – an age-related condition in which the discs dry out, become brittle and are easily torn or fractured. As the disc deteriorates, sensory nerves within the disc become painfully exposed.
A British study, published in the Annals of Rheumatic
Diseases, looked at 4,600 people and found that the PARK2 gene was linked to
age-related disc problems.
Investigators found that variants of the PARK2 gene appeared
to have an effect in people with DDD. The gene seemed to increase the speed at
which their condition deteriorated. The important question then becomes, can the gene be turned off? Investigators say more research is needed to find the
answer.
Dr. Frances Williams, of the Department of Genetic Epidemiology
at King's College London, who worked on the study, said: "Further work to
define the role of the PARK2 gene will, we hope, shed light on one of most
important causes of lower back pain.
It is feasible that if we can build on this finding and improve our knowledge
of the condition, we may one day be able to develop new, more effective
treatments for back pain caused by this common condition."
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