Study indicates neural pathway that provides pain relief, reduces cravings for opioids Researchers have discovered that there may be a new pathway in the brain that provides pain relief and reduces cravings for opioids. Over a third of the U.S. population suffers from chronic pain, with little to no reported relief from medication. Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive form of brain stimulation that may offer a new treatment option for these underserved members of our community. In a recent paper in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina evaluated two different strategies for relieving pain with TMS: applying TMS to the motor cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).