New Scientist: Blood test tells how much it hurts

NewScientist.com is reporting that a researcher in the UK has come up with an objective blood test to measure how much pain a person is feeling. If this research pans out it could provide huge benefits for several different fields in medicine.

A simple blood test could be the first objective measure of how much pain someone is experiencing, the test's inventor claims. As well as revolutionising pain research, the assay could prove invaluable for doctors treating young children, people who are not fully conscious, and anyone else unable to communicate properly. Many pain researchers are sceptical about whether such a test is possible. But inventor Shaun Kilminster claims his test has already been shown to work in headache sufferers.