Angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) the root of all pain?

Angiogensis and its accompanying nerves are evident in disc disease with the formation of neurovascular growth in the High Intensity Zone facing the spinal cord. Similarly, I have written how chronic tendonitis is associated with neurovascular growth. Now it appears arthritis pain may be angiogenesis related as well.

Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2008 Sep;20(5):573-80.
Angiogenesis in osteoarthritis.
Ashraf S, Walsh DA.

It is well known that knee pain has a poor correlation with extent of cartilage damage. The wild card could be the painful neurovascularization brought about by angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is a big problem with cancers that know how to feed themselves by encouraging new vascularity.

  • Angiogenesis and inflammation often go together

The article develops a model in which angiogenesis with nerve growth innervation are two parts of the puzzle. Structural damage incurred from the inflammation and the angiogenesis another part. All tis leads to pain.

What is missing is the role the spinal cord and nervous system have in arthrtis pains. Studies in animals have demonstrated the necessity for spinal involvement in arthritis pain – blocking that input could results in significantly less arthritis. Stroke patients have less inflammation on the stroke side.

What is missing from the article is what this means. They seem to want to measure things like subchondral growth but do not have answers of where anti-angiogenesis treatments fit in.

Could use someone’s perspective on that.

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One Response to Angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) the root of all pain?

  1. John B. says:

    This is the first article I have seen that specifically states angiogenesis causes pain. I thought this was the case but could find no confirmation.
    I had radiation therapy 20 months ago for prostate cancer. A month after completion I was clear of cancer, felt well and went back to work. However, six months I developed ulcerative proctitis. I had little in the way of treatment, mainly pain relief meds for the past 9 months. Now the consultant wishes to pursue his own speciality, surgery, to remove part of my bowel and leave me with a colostomy bag.
    I do not wish to take this route and therefore started hyperbaric oxygen therapy under my own volition. I think there has been improvement after 25 one hour sessions at 2 atmospheres. However, I have recently been experiencing quite severe pain and some cystitis type symptoms, burning sensation when passing urine.
    I hope my belief that it is the angiogenesis that has caused this pain and that it is an indication of the healing process is working.
    Has anyone had the same experience or got any advice or comment?

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