Acute and Chronic Pain Flashcards
What are the different ways to classify pain?
- Length (Acute/Chronic)
- Physiology (Nocicpetic/Neuropathic)
- Etiology
- Affected Area
What is acute pain primarily due to?
Nociception
What is chronic pain primarily due to?
- Neuropathic
- Physiological and behavior factors
What are the four major processes of pain?
- Transduction
- Transmission
- Modulation
- Perception
What is transduction?
- Noxious stimuli are converted to nerve impulses by nociceptors.
Fibers that transmit “fast pain” that is sharp and well localized.
A-δ fibers
Fibers that transmit “slow pain” that is dull and poorly localized.
C fibers
How will inflammation contribute to the threshold of pain stimulus?
Reduce threshold to pain stimulus (allodynia)
How will inflammation contribute to the response to pain stimulus?
Increase response to pain stimulus (hyperalgesia)
What are the inflammatory mediators involved in Transduction?
- Prostaglandin
- Bradykinin
What are the excitatory mediators involved in Transduction?
- Glutamate
- CGRP
- NGF
- SP
What are the inhibitory mediators involved in Transduction?
- Opioids
- SST
- Cannabinoids
What is transmission?
Pain signals are relayed from the afferent pathway along the spinothalamic tract to the brain.
What is the first-order neuron?
- Pain signal from periphery to dorsal horn (cell body in dorsal root ganglion)
- Pain source to spine
What is the second-order neuron?
- Signal from dorsal horn to thalamus (cell body in dorsal horn)
- Spine to brain
What is the third-order neuron?
- Thalamus to the cerebral cortex (cell body in the thalamus)
- Brain to cerebral cortex
What is Modulation?
The process where the pain signal is amplified or dampened as it advances toward the cerebral cortex.
What is the most important site of modulation?
Substantia Gelatinosa in the Dorsal Horn (Lamina II and Lamina III)
Where does the descending inhibitory pathway begin before it is projected to the Substantial Gelatinosa?
- Periaqueductal Gray
- Rostroventral Medulla
How is pain inhibited?
- Spinal neurons release GABA and glycine (inhibitory NT)
- Descending pathway release NE, 5HT, and endorphins
How is pain augmented?
- Central sensitization
- Wind-up
Where does modulation occur?
- Nociceptor in the spinal cord
- Nociceptor in the supraspinal structures
How is peripheral modulation of pain facilitated?
Nociceptors and neurons display sensitization from repeated stimulation
How is peripheral modulation of pain inhibited?
Peripheral exogenous opioid release
How is central modulation of pain facilitated?
- Wind-up and sensitization of second-order neurons
- Receptive field expansion
- Hyperexcitability of flexion reflexes
How is central modulation of pain inhibited?
- Segmental inhibition (signal stops in second-order neuron and spinothalamic tract)
- Supraspinal inhibition (signal sent down the spinal cord to inhibit pain at the dorsal horn)
What is perception?
How we process afferent pain signals in the cerebral cortex and limbic system
What drugs can prevent pain Transduction?
- NSAIDs
- Antihistamine
- Opioids
- LA
What drugs can prevent pain Transmission?
- LA
- Opioids
What drugs can prevent pain Modulation?
- Opioids
- Alpha-2 agonist
- NMDA receptor antagonists
What drugs can prevent pain Perception?
- Opioids
- Alpha-2 agonist
- General Anesthesia
What are the two types of Neuropathic Pain?
- Central
- Peripheral
What are the two types of Nociceptive Pain?
- Visceral
- Somatic
What are the two types of Visceral Pain?
- True
- Parietal
What are the two types of Somatic Pain?
- Superficial
- Deep
What is the most common cause of acute pain?
Nociceptive Pain
What is the benefit of having acute pain?
Serves to detect, localize, and limit tissue damage (ie: hot stove)
How is somatic superficial pain characterized?
- Well localized
- Sharp
- Pricking, Throbbing, Burning
How is somatic deep pain characterized?
- Less well-localized
- Dull, aching
What is the cause of visceral pain?
D/t disease process or abnormal organ function