PBS News Hour - Health Experimental treatment offers hope to people struggling with chronic pain
Oct 25, 2025
Pam Belluck, a health and science reporter for the New York Times, dives into the complex world of chronic pain, affecting over 50 million Americans. She discusses the overwhelming challenges faced by those dealing with persistent pain and the limits of current treatment options. Belluck highlights a groundbreaking clinical trial using AI-guided deep brain stimulation, which shows promise in targeting individual pain pathways. The conversation also touches on the future of less invasive treatment methods, offering hope for better management of chronic pain.
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Patients Describe Hidden Daily Suffering
- People described invisible, daily suffering from back pain, migraines, and joint problems that disrupt routines.
- Several recounted losing activities they loved and facing disbelief from others about their pain.
Chronic Pain Varies Widely Between People
- Chronic pain is highly individualized with many causes and no single pain center in the brain.
- That variability explains why many medications and interventions fail for large groups of patients.
AI-Guided, Responsive Deep Brain Stimulation
- Researchers used AI to find patient-specific brain locations tied to pain and programmed responsive stimulation.
- The device acted like a brain thermostat, delivering bursts of stimulation when pain markers appeared.