Lecture 8 - Pain Flashcards
Name the 2 types of pain
Acute and Chronic
How was pain explained in the pre-modern era?
It was explained as religious. It was destiny, punishment and absolution
What is meant by acute pain?
Recent onset and short
From an injury or medical procedure
Treatable with medication
What is meant by chronic pain?
It is long-term
More than 12 months
More difficult to treat
Affects 10-12% of the population
Name the 2 types of theory
Pattern theory and Specificity theory
How did pattern theory explain pain?
Nerve impulse patterns determine degree of pain experienced
What does specificity theory suggest in terms of pain?
That there were specific sensory receptors which transmit both warmth and pain
Who came up with the specificity theory in 1895?
Von Frey
What did Sherrington discover in 1906?
Small diameter nerve fibres, sensitive to mechanical, thermal and chemical changes
Explain the gate theory in detail in regards to pain
Pain is regulated by a ‘gate’ which can be opened or closed by degrees.
The more the gate is open, the more pain the person experiences
It is opened by injury, mood and anxiety
Closed by emotions, physical factors and behavioural factors
