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Doctors have struggled to explain why some people are more sensitive to and less able to tolerate pain.
Now scientists have discovered that a gene may be responsible.
The findings suggest that gene therapy might in the future become a treatment alternative for patients with severe chronic pain.
Dr Geoffrey Woods, of Cambridge University, said that finding a gene responsible for pain could greatly increase the ability to conquer and control it.
"The search for effective analgesics (pain releaving drugs) with acceptable side effects has long been the goal of doctors and biomedical researchers," he said.
"Because current therapies have limited efficacy (effectiveness), with up to 50 per cent of treated subjects receiving inadequate pain relief, there exists a significant need to develop better therapies."
Vast numbers of people worldwide suffer with chronic pain, as a result of injury or arthritis, which affects every aspect of their lives, and often results in depression
Scientists discovered the gene in a study of 578 people with osteoarthritis and found the same one in patients with sciatica, phantom pain, back problems and pancreatitis....