How Does 2-Minute Neuroscience: Opioids Work?

Pain is like a loud noise that won't stop, opioids are like headphones that help you tune it out.

Imagine your body has tiny messengers called neurotransmitters, and when you feel pain, they send a message to your brain. Opioids work by stepping in like a friend who tells the messengers, "Hey, take it easy, don’t bother the brain so much."

Think of opioids as special keys that fit into special locks on these messengers. When the key fits in the lock, the messenger can't send its message quite as well. That means your brain doesn’t get the full story about the pain anymore.

Imagine you're at the playground and someone pushes you, it hurts a little. Now imagine you take a magic pill (that's an opioid), and suddenly that push feels like a gentle nudge. The pill didn't make the push go away, but it made it easier to ignore.

Sometimes, when you use opioids too much, your body gets used to them, like how you might need bigger sunglasses on a brighter day. That’s why sometimes people need more of the special keys to feel the same relief. Pain is like a loud noise that won't stop, opioids are like headphones that help you tune it out.

Imagine your body has tiny messengers called neurotransmitters, and when you feel pain, they send a message to your brain. Opioids work by stepping in like a friend who tells the messengers, "Hey, take it easy, don’t bother the brain so much."

Think of opioids as special keys that fit into special locks on these messengers. When the key fits in the lock, the messenger can't send its message quite as well. That means your brain doesn’t get the full story about the pain anymore.