exam 3- chronic pain Flashcards
Chronic pain definition
Uninterrupted persistent pain lasting for 3 months or more
Determination of source is not always clear
Things that go along with chronic pain
povrty, despair, suicide, divorce, interferes with ADLs, economic impact
Chronic pain classification
malignant or non malignant
Chronic pain treatment goal
improve ADLs, enhance function, multidisciplinary approach to treatment
Pathophysiology of chronic pain (4 steps)
- Afferent signals amplified
- descending modulation from dorsal horn pathway is decreased
- prolonged stimulation, inflammation and nerve injury can sensitize pain transmission fibers
- Death of inhibitory cells and/or cause structural neuroplastic changes
Central mechanisms of chronic pain (2)
- chronic inflammation
- hyper excitability of second order neurons in the dorsal horn
Primary neurotransmitter released by primary afferent in the dorsal horn
glutamate
Glutamate role in chronic pain
excites receptors, causing influx of calcium into cell –>increases second messengers such as protein kinase and phospholipase
Glutamate activates (2)
- NMDA receptor (among others)
- Substance P and CGRP to bind
Activation of secondary messengers from glutamate binding:
Up - regulation and hyperexcitability
Up-regulation and hyper excitability of NMDA receptors causes
Long term neuronal plasticity and eventually gene transcription changes = sensitization and chronic pain states
What is wind up
abnormal response and chronic pain sensation
What causes wind up
Repetitive stimulation from chronic inflammation or nerve damage
2 phases of windup:
- hyperalgesia (less and less stim required to initiate pain
- FIbers that don’t normally carry painful stimulation are recruited and start transmitting pain
Chronic pain can lead to
psychological dysfunction
Prevention of chronic pain and wind up
Treat underlying conditions
In windup, synchronous volleys of affarents produce
long lasting synaptic potentials
Windup is the repetitive activation of ______ which______
C-fibers, which increases magnitude of evoked responses
Windup leads to
central sensitization
Central sensitization is
enhanced excitability of dorsal horn neurons
Central sensitization contributes to
hyperalgesia
Types of chronic pain (4)
- neuropathic pain
- nociceptive pain
- somatic pain
- visceral pain
Neuropathic pain definition and manifestations
example
pain radiates from a damaged nerve along dermatome
manifestations: intense burning sensation, allodynia. (exaggerated pain repsonse)
ex. shingles
Complex regional pain syndrome s/sx
spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia, allodynia, trophic, sudomotor, vasomotor abnormalities, active/passive movement disorders
Complex regional pain syndrome treatment (3)
Sympathetic block,
meds,
spinal cord stimulator
Complex regional pain syndrome meds
gabapentin, ketamine infusion, memantine
Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (including pathophys)
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
cause: trauma, surgery, neck injury, female
Complex regional pain syndrome type II (including pathophys)
Causalgia
cause: nerve injury (i.e. nerve cut in surgery)
Somatic pain originates in
arms, legs, face, muscles, tendons, extrinsic areas of body
Somatic pain is triggered by
acute injury or chronic disease (cut, bruise, arthritis, joint injury)