Pain Flashcards
What are the 2 main pathways for pain ?
Can be either nociceptive and/ or neuropathic processing
why do we need to do a pain assessment ?
Better able to develop non-pharmacologic and/or pharmacologic strategies to obtain improved clinical results
where does pain originate ?
in the CNS PNS or both
pain signal will come from where
nociceptors which are specialized nerve endings needed to detect pain- can be found everywhere except in bone
nerves that transmit signals from the brain are called
efferent nerves or motor nerves - exiting the brain and message might require movement
nerves that transmit from the body to the CNS are called
afferent or sensory nerves in which will pick up that something has been impacted and will send message to brain
what is the substantia gelatinosa ?
Specific area of cord in which fibers synapse with interneurons , also considered to be lamina II in which sensor information is received from various parts of the body
- ** it is also the area where the nerves have to cross over to the other side of the spinal cord and go up to the brain via the anterolateral tract
what are the 4 phases of nociception ?
transmission, transduction, perception, modulation
nociceptive pain will develop when,
when functioning and intact nerve fibers in the periphery and CNS are stimulated
what happens in transduction ?
release of various chemical mediators ( histamine , prostoglandins, serotonin ) and the neurotransmitter will deliver pain message .
sensory afferent nerve fiber –> spinal cord—> dorsal horn
second set of neurotransmitters will carry signal across synaptic cleft( ATP, substance P, glutamate)
What happens in transmission ?
pain signal move from spinal cord to brain and impulse goes to thalamus ,where it will then start to be processed.
true or false ? there are opioid receptors in the synaptic cleft at the spinal cord that can block pain
True- if pain isnt blocked it will move to thalamus
what takes place during peception?
signal gets disperse to cortical areas ( limbic, and somatosensory areas ), pain dispersed to these areas allows for the sensation of pain to be identified
what happens in modulation ?
to dial down or turn off pain - descending pathways will release 3rd set of neurotransmitters( GABA, Serotonin,norepinephrine ) to induce analgesic effect
what is meant by the fact that nociceptive processing can be protective ?
can be a warning signal that injury is about to or has taken place.
when does neuropathic pain take place
when there is actual damage to the nerves that takes place and it implies that there is an abnormal processing of the pain message and will often turn into a chronic condition
True or false, nociceptive pain cannot turn into neuropathic pain?
False Nociceptive pain can change into a neuropathic pain overtime when pain has been poorly controlled
conditions that lead to neuropathic pain ?
Diabetes mellitus, herpes zoster (shingles), HIV/AIDS, sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, phantom limb pain, and/or chemotherapy
Example of neuropathic pain ?
Pain felt with phantom limb
why is diagnosis of neuropathic pain hard ?
cannot be recognized on MRI, CT or Xray scans
what tools can possibly be used to diagnose neuropathic pain ?
Electromyography and nerve-conduction studies are needed
propsoed mechanisms of neuropathic pain
Spontaneous and repetitive firing of nerve fibers, almost seizure like in activity
True or false ? In neuropathic pain, minor stimuli can lead to significant pain
true
What is visceral pain ?
originates from larger interior organs.
Stems from direct injury to organ or from stretching of organ from tumor, ischemia, distention, or severe contraction
visceral pain can be described as ?
dull, deep, squeezing or cramping
transmission of visceral pain ?
transmitted by ascending nerve fibers along with nerve fibers of autonomic nervous system
presentation of visceral pain
Presents with autonomic responses such as vomiting, nausea, pallor, and diaphoresis
what is deep somatic pain ?
comes from sources such as blood vessels, joints, tendons, muscles, and bone
presentation of deep somatic pain ?
nausea, sweating, tachycardia, and HTN due to ANS response.
deep somatic pain is often described as
as aching or throbbing
deep somatic pain can result from what kind of injuries ?
pressure, trauma, or ischemia.
Is deep somatic pain usually well localized and identifiable ?
Yes, most people can pinpoint directly which area is hurting with this kind of pain, Unlike Visceral pain
cutaneous pain
derived from skin surface and subcutaneous tissues, the injury is considered superficial. accompanied with a sharp burning sensation
Reffered pain is
felt at a particular site but originates from another location
- happens because both sites are innervated by the same spinal nerve - brain cant tell the difference
- can originate from either visceral or somatic structures
Gallbladder and shoulder is an example
acute pain :Short-term and self-limiting:
Often follows a predictable trajectory and dissipates after an injury heals. Eg. surgery, trauma and kidney stones
acute pain : Self-protective purpose
Acute pain warns individual of actual or potential tissue damage.