Researchers have identified three variations of a gene called COMT that influence sensitivity to pain and the risk of developing a chronic pain condition. These findings could ultimately lead to more individualized pain control strategies. In the study, the presence of a “low pain sensitivity” variant greatly reduced the risk of developing temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), but the authors believe that this finding will apply to other chronic pain conditions as well. TMD is a common painful condition of the jawbone joint.
