title: A bio-psycho-socio-molecular approach to pain and stress management.
abstract: Stress and trauma are interconnected with the experience of pain. This connection is due to a physiological coupling of underlying molecular autoregulatory mechanisms, as well as phenomenological similarities. Nonpharmaceutical therapeutic approaches such as the relaxation response, a process that supports physiological stress reduction and decreases the negative mental and physical effects of stress, also facilitate pain relief, again demonstrating physiological commonalities. These behavioral approaches have a critical impact on molecular patterns of autoregulation, leading to the assumption of a bio-psycho-socio-molecular model of autoregulation, including stress and pain. Thus, molecules and behavior may be seen as two sides of the same problem in pain and stress relief.
authors.affiliation: Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Coburg, Friedrich-Streib-Strasse 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany. esch@hs-coburg.de
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Esch
authors.forename: George B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Stefano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D053610:Opiate Alkaloids; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D053610:Opiate Alkaloids; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D004298:Dopamine