2 - Pain and Management Part 2 Flashcards
Where do primary afferent fibers synapse?
The dorsal horn of the spinal cord
Where do 2nd order neurons synapse?
On the thalamus
True or false: Action potentials occur completely or not at all
True
True or false: The stronger the stimulus the stronger the action potential
False, a stimulus needs to be strong enough to depolarize the neuron however, if that stimulus increases in intensity the action potential is still going to occur at the same level.
True or false: a strong stimulation may produce a higher frequency of firing impulses
True
True or false: the stronger the stimulus the easier it is for the patient to tell you where the pain is
False, the stronger the stimulus the less likely the patient is able to tell you where the pain is.
True or false: pain is typically referred proximally
False: pain is typically referred more distally
What are the four conditions for pain?
Strength of the Stimulus
Position of the Painful Structure
Depth from the Surface
Nature of the Affected Tissue
What is referred pain?
it is an error in perception by the sensory cortex.
Wrongly identifies the source of the painful stimulus
Why does referred pain occur?
Because cutaneous, visceral, and skeletal muscle nociceptors converge on a common nerve root of the spinal cord. However, the brain interprets it as cutaneous pain.
Segmental referred pain is when…
Pain is referred to a structure within the same dermatome
Extrasegmental referred pain is when…
Pain is referred to more than one dermatome. Meaning there are multiple levels involved at the spinal cord level.
What is a dermatome?
It is an area of the skin in which sensory nerves derive from a single spinal nerve
What is a myotome?
The key muscle??
True or false: the dermatome and key muscles develop from different segments
False, they develop from the same segment
Define or describe root pain
It is the irritation of nerves and nerve roots. Sensation is deep sharp and well localized.
True or false: all root pain is referred pain but not all referred pain is root pain
True
What are the three types of pain?
Acute Pain
Subacute Pain
Chronic Pain
In what time period would people be considered to have acute pain?
3-6 Weeks
Why would someone be experiencing acute pain?
Due to injury or disease that can cause tissue damage.
Ex. infection, trauma, metabolic disorder progression, degenerative disease.
What does acute pain protect us from?
Further tissue damage
For how long could someone experience subacute pain?
From 6 weeks to 3-6 months
At what point does subacute pain move to chronic pain?
When it is more than 3-6 months
Define or describe chronic pain
When pain persists beyond the normal time expected for healing of injured tissues
It is associated with structural and functional changes in the CNS
Is chronic pain still trying to protect against damage?
No
Define or describe a chemical chemical source of pain
Chemical sources of pain are from substances that are released when a tissue is injured
It occupies the space around the tissue
Define the two different types of mechanical sources of pain
Normal stress on abnormal tissue (ex. movement with a patient who’s just out of a cast)
Abnormal stress on Normal Tissue (ex. bending your finder back and holding it)
True or false: when you place abnormal stress on a normal tissue a pathology must be present in order for the person to feel pain
False, you can place abnormal stress on a normal tissue and still feel pain without a pathology bring present
Mechanical vs. Chemical Pain:
Frequency
Mechanical - Intermittent
Chemical - Constant
Mechanical vs. Chemical Pain: Effect of changing position or movement
Mechanical - pain increases or decreases with certain positions or movements
Chemical - Pain is not altered by change it may actually worsen
Mechanical vs. Chemical Pain: Quality of pain
Mechanical - sudden sharp twinges
Chemical - pulsating or throbbing
Mechanical vs. Chemical Pain: Heat, redness or swelling
Mechanical - none
Chemical - quite common (signs of inflammation)