Pain Flashcards
what is visceral pain?
results from the activation of nocieptors of the thoracic, pelvic or abdominal organs (internal organ pain)
what is neuropathic pain?
cause by a damage or disease that is affecting the somatosensory nervous system
what is somatic pain?
a type of nociceptive pain that is also referred to as skin, tissue or muscle pain
what is acute pain?
directly related to soft tissue damage (eg paper cut or sprained ankle)
what is chronic/persistent pain?
continuous or recurrent pain that last longer than the normal time of healing (pain that lasts for more than 3 months)
what is referred pain?
pain that is felt in a part of the body, other than it’s actual source
what are the 4 psychological processes in the pain pathway?
transduction
perception
transmission
modulation
explain transduction
when an injury happens, nociceptors convert the noxious stimuli to electrical - this information then goes to the dorsal horn (bottom of the spine)
explain transmission
the impulse moves up the spine to the brain
explain perception
the brain processed the information and the person becomes conscious of the pain
explain modulation
‘descending system’ - output
explain the gate theory
pain travels to the dorsal horn and travels up to the brain - BUT if you cut it off with something else the brain perceives the other thing rather than the pain
(eg if you hurt your foot, if you was to shake your hand when this happened, the brain perceives the shaking hand, rather than the pain in your foot)
