US researchers have found that back pain can shrink the thalamus, this is a part of the brain that helps you make decisions and interact with other people. The scientists, from Northwestern University, USA, found that people with back pain had less activity in the thalamus. You can read about this study in the Journal of Neuroscience. Team leader, Dr Vania Apkarian, stressed that they will need to carry out more research. However, they reckon that some of the shrinkage might be permanent. Dr Vania Apkarian said we may have to treat pain earlier and more aggressively to prevent any shrinkage.
