Pain and Addiction | Brain Institute

UVA pioneered the use of focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor and parkinsonian tremor. Now, researchers are pioneering its use for treatment of chronic intractable pain and addiction. The opioid crisis, a major societal problem, has arisen in part from inadequate treatment of chronic pain and inappropriate use of opioids, leading to addiction.

In The News

UVA Health Developing New Way to Relieve Chronic Pain

UVA researchers are exploring whether brain stimulation can bring relief for chronic pain when medication doesn't help.

Focused Ultrasound Opening Brain to Impossible Treatments

Richard J. Price, PhD, of UVA’s School of Medicine and School of Engineering, is using focused soundwaves to overcome the natural “blood-brain barrier,” which protects the brain from harmful pathogens.

Q&A: Researcher Jarrett Zigon Says There's a Better Response to the Opioid Crisis

The bioethicist and anthropologist believes community-building tactics – like those used in Canada and Europe – can help opioid users in the U.S.