pain

Question 1

what is pain

Answer 1

An unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage

Question 2

what is the purpose of pain

Answer 2

attention to body injury - identification of threat
alerts you to threats in environment - awareness of additional dangers
motivates withdrawal behaviour - prevents further tissue injury
increases salience - event well-remembered
provokes strong emotions - increases strengtht pain memories
facilitates pain-related learning - avoidance

Question 3

nociceptors

Answer 3

Nociceptors are specialised sensory receptors
responsible for the detection of noxious stimuli

Question 4

what happens in the pain process

Answer 4

• Nociceptors are specialised sensory receptors responsible for the detection of noxious stimuli
• Noxious stimuli are transduced into electrical
  impulses called action potentials
• This information is carried on A and C nerve fibres via the anterolateral ascending pathways
• Transmission of noxious stimuli can be inhibited

Question 5

DIMS

Answer 5

• Stands for Danger In Me
• Neurotags that tend to amplify
  the pain experience
• Influenced by negative thoughts
  and experiences and also lack of
  understanding
• Can become the over-riding
  factor for persistent pain states

Question 6

SIMS

Answer 6

• Stands for Safety In Me
• Neurotags that tend to
  minimise the pain experience
• Can be thought of as “positive
  thinking” and learning
• We try to replace DIMs with
  SIMs to help minimise the pain
  state

Question 7

the gate control theory

diagram

Answer 7

Question 8

How does the brain perceive

Answer 8

physiological pain
- acute
- can last hours/ days
- physical stimulus
- nociceptive
- protect body from harm
pathophysiological
- persitent
- can last years
- unrelated to injury
- emotional
- serves no purpose

Question 9

key points

Answer 9

• The gate control theory of pain
  describes a process of inhibitory pain
  modulation at the spinal cord level.
• Stimulation of large diameter (A
  fibers) through non-noxious stimuli
  activates inhibitory processes in the
  dorsal horn and inhibits nociceptive
  transmission by C fibers.
• This theory also proposed that
  psychological factors such as our
  emotions influenced whether the gates
  were ‘open or closed’
• The neuromatrix theory expanded on
  the gate theory by emphasising the
  role of the brain
• It suggested how we sense pain and
  respond to stress depends on a unique,
  individual and complex interaction
  among many different factors.
• This includes factors such as our
  biology, how we feel, what we think
  and believe, and our environment.