19 NERVES AND PAIN Flashcards
What element does pain have according to Emily Dickinson?
Pain has an element of blank
This suggests that pain is difficult to define or articulate.
What is one of humanity’s greatest preoccupations related to?
Pain
Pain is considered one of medical science’s greatest challenges.
What percentage of people may experience pain without purpose?
Up to 40 percent
This statistic highlights the prevalence of chronic pain.
What is phantom limb pain?
Pain perceived in a part of the body that has been lost
It can persist even after amputation.
What theory explains phantom limb pain?
The brain interprets the absence of signals from nerve fibers as severe injury
It sends out a distress signal continuously.
What is trigeminal neuralgia also known as?
Tic douloureux
This condition is characterized by sharp, stabbing facial pain.
What type of pain does trigeminal neuralgia cause?
Sharp, stabbing pain across the face
The pain can be sudden and severe.
How is pain processed in the brain?
Pain can surface almost anywhere in the brain
There is no specific pain center in the brain.
What does the International Association for the Study of Pain define pain as?
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
This definition encompasses a wide range of painful experiences.
What is the McGill Pain Questionnaire used for?
To measure pain using descriptive words
It includes seventy-eight words describing different levels of discomfort.
What scale do most pain researchers use today?
A simpler one-to-ten scale
This scale helps in quantifying pain more effectively.
What are nociceptors?
Specialized nerve endings that respond to painful stimuli
They are crucial for the perception of pain.
What types of stimuli do nociceptors respond to?
- Thermal
- Chemical
- Mechanical
The nociceptor for mechanical pain has not yet been identified.
What are the two types of fibers that convey pain signals?
- A delta fibers
- C fibers
A delta fibers transmit sharp pain, while C fibers transmit throbbing pain.
What is the speed of nerve signal transmission?
120 meters per second
This is significantly slower than the speed of light.
What is the role of reflexes in pain response?
To intercept a signal and act before it reaches the brain
This allows for immediate reactions to painful stimuli.
Who first identified nociceptors?
Charles Scott Sherrington
He made significant contributions to our understanding of the nervous system.
What is the central nervous system composed of?
The brain and spinal cord
It serves as the main control center for the body.
What does the autonomic nervous system control?
Involuntary actions like heartbeats
It includes sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
What is the sympathetic nervous system responsible for?
The fight-or-flight response
This system prepares the body for sudden actions.
What does the parasympathetic nervous system manage?
Rest and digest functions
It oversees less urgent bodily functions.
What is an oddity of human peripheral nerves?
They can heal and regrow when damaged
This is not the case for central nervous system nerves.
What is the fight-or-flight response?
A physiological reaction to perceived harmful events, attacks, or threats.
What does the parasympathetic nervous system manage?
Rest and digest functions, including digestion, waste disposal, saliva production, and sexual arousal.
How do peripheral nerves differ from central nervous system nerves in terms of healing?
Peripheral nerves can heal and regrow when damaged, unlike central nervous system nerves.
What are the common causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States?
Car accidents and gunshot wounds.
What is nociceptive pain?
Pain resulting from stimulation of pain receptors, such as stubbing a toe.
What is inflammatory pain?
Pain that occurs when tissue becomes swollen and red.
What characterizes dysfunctional pain?
Pain without external stimulus that causes no nerve damage or inflammation.
What is neuropathic pain?
Pain resulting from damaged or overly sensitive nerves.
What is the difference between acute and chronic pain?
Acute pain is short-term and protective, while chronic pain persists and can be debilitating.
Who is Patrick Wall and what was his view on pain?
A British neuroscientist who argued that pain beyond a certain level is often pointless.
What are primary headaches?
Headaches without a direct, identifiable cause, such as migraines and tension headaches.
What are secondary headaches?
Headaches that arise from a precipitating event, like an infection or tumor.
What percentage of people are affected by migraines?
15 percent.
Fill in the blank: Pain is curiously ______.
mutable.
What can increase perceived levels of pain?
Being depressed or worried.
What is the placebo effect?
A phenomenon where patients experience relief from symptoms due to their belief in a treatment, even if it’s inactive.
What did studies show about the effectiveness of placebos?
Placebos can be effective even when patients know they are receiving a placebo.
What is the opioid crisis?
A public health crisis resulting from the over-prescription and addiction to opioid painkillers.
What percentage of the world’s opioids does the United States consume?
80 percent.
What is one major consequence of the opioid crisis?
A significant rise in organ donations from opioid addicts.
What does ‘free analgesia’ refer to?
Pain management techniques that do not involve pharmaceuticals, such as cognitive-behavioral therapies.
What role does neuroimaging play in pain management?
It helps persuade people to engage with their brain to manage pain.
What is referred pain?
Pain that is felt in a different area of the body than where it originates.
What is the International Classification of Headache Disorders?
A system that recognizes fourteen categories of headaches.
Fill in the blank: Chronic pain affects more people than ______, heart disease, and diabetes combined.
cancer.
What did Andrew Rice state about the effectiveness of pain relief drugs?
They relieve pain for 50 percent of patients only one in four to one in seven times.
What was a significant observation made by Irene Tracey regarding chronic pain?
Chronic pain is a system gone wrong and can be viewed as a disease in its own right.
