Rethinking the temporal dynamics of pain: from 3 months to 3 hours?

Abstract

The perception of pain varies rhythmically across the day. Although early studies showed variations in pain sensitivity, mechanistic studies are only now identifying how clock genes and individual rhythms affect pain outcomes. Core clock genes, including Bmal1 and Cry1, regulate pain through neuroimmune interactions, providing potential biomarkers to understand individual variability. This rhythmicity offers a promising avenue for a precision medicine approach to identify optimal timing for pain therapies and stratification of individuals. Integrating daily rhythmic patterns with digital health tools could significantly enhance treatment strategies, moving beyond the conventional "one-size-fits-all" approach toward personalized pain management.