Anaesthetics can make the pain worse

Why anaesthetics can make the pain worse

When you undergo surgery, you expect general anaesthetic to take the pain away, not make it worse. But new research suggests that many commonly used anaesthetics may worsen post-operative soreness and inflammation by activating peripheral pain pathways.

Gerard Ahern at Georgetown University in Washington DC and his colleagues have now figured out how this happens. Their work could help doctors choose the least painful anaesthetic for different medical procedures.