Pain, particularly chronic pain lasting longer than three months, is a highly complex condition with multiple physiological, psychological and social dimensions. The World Health Organization classifies chronic pain as a disease in its own right (ICD-11). Recent findings suggest that activating the sense of touch through various artificial means, without direct skin-to-skin human contact, may provide pain relief. This represents a highly interesting alternative or complement to pharmacological treatments, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), COX inhibitors, antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs and opioids. These treatments often provide insufficient relief or have limited use due to side effects. Opioids in particular have been the subject of considerable debate in recent years because of concerns about overprescription and dependency.
In our project, we investigate whether so-called actuating smart textiles could be used to deliver tactile stimulation. In this context, actuating refers to the ability to exert pressure on, or change the shape of, the textile鈥檚 surrounding environment, namely the skin. Textiles offer several advantages. They can cover and stimulate large areas of the body, their softness resembles that of human skin, and when designed as garments they can be perceived as a familiar part of everyday life, potentially improving treatment adherence. Textiles also naturally lend themselves to the development of portable solutions.
We achieve actuation in the textiles through a range of novel physicochemical mechanisms. For example, we use electromechanically active polymers, often referred to as 鈥渁rtificial muscles鈥�, which can contract when driven by a low electrical voltage (1 V). This enables the creation of a soft system composed entirely of polymer-based materials integrated with the textile.
Our research explores how closely artificial tactile stimulation can replicate human touch, the physiological mechanisms underlying pain relief, and how actuating materials can be developed and manufactured.
