Pain Types and Patterns Flashcards
T/F: organs are richly innervated with nerve fibers and specific nociceptors
FALSE
actual nerve fibers and specific nociceptors have not been found in organs
suspected pain transmission from organs is a result of peripheral mechanisms
Why can the cortex not distinguish where pain messages originate from?
- low receptor density
- large overlapping receptive fields
- extensive convergence in the ascending pathway
What are the 3 proposed mechanisms of referred visceral pain?
- Embryologic development
- Multisegmental innervation
- Direct pressure and shared pathways
describe the embryologic development theory of reffered pain
- Thought that embryologic development has primary role in visceral referred pain patterns
- pain is referred to a site where the organ was located in fetal development
Provide 3 examples of the embryologic development theory of reffered pain
- Thoracic disorders referring to abdomen
- Chest was part of the gut in embryologic development
- pneumonia or pleuritis may be percieved in abdomen instead of chest
- Heart disorders referring to abdomen
- pericardium is formed from gut tissue
- MI and pericarditis can refer pain to abdomen
- Kidney and ear
- come from the same embryologic tissue
- anomaly of ear at birth assocaited with similar anomalies of kidney on same side
Describe the multisegmental innervation theory of reffered pain
- Organs have multiple levels of innervation
- Referred visceral pain to somatic tissue may be due to overlapping of same segmental projections of spinal afferent neurons to the spinal dorsal horn
- visceral-organ cross-sensitization
- pain of visceral origin → corresponding somatic area
Provides some examples of multisegmental innervation
- Cardiac pain
- not felt in heart, but referred to areas of corresponding spinal nerve (C3-T4)
- Jaw
- Neck
- Upper Trap
- Shoulder
- Arm
- not felt in heart, but referred to areas of corresponding spinal nerve (C3-T4)
Describe the direct pressure and shared pathways theory of reffered pain
- Viscera near diaphragm become inflammed/irritated and swell/enlarge and then press onto and irritate the diaphragm
- pain pattern is ipsilateral to area of irritation
- spleen → L shoulder
- Tail of pancreas → L shoulder
- Head of pancreas → R shoulder
- Gallbladder → R shoulder
- Liver → R shoulder
how do impingments upon different portions of the diaphragm manifest differently?
- impingement on central diaphragm → refers to shoulder
- impingement on peripheral diaphragm → refers to ipsilateral costal margin and/or lumbar region
List several possible sources of pain
- Cutaneous
- Somatic
- Visceral
- Neuropathic
- Referred
- Central Sensitization (CS)
Describe cutaneous sources of pain
- includes superficial somatic structures in skin and subcutaneous tissue
- pain is well localized
- can point to are that “hurts”
- usually locatable with one finger
- can be associated with referred pain from viscera or deep somatic structures
how can organ pain result in cutaneous pain?
organ impariment can result in sudomotor changes resulting trophic changes such as:
- itching
- dysesthesia
- skin temp changes
- dry skin
T/F: cutaneous pain is a reliable indicator of various pathologies etiologies
FALSE
how is somatic pain labeled?
according to the source → 5 subtypes
- superficial somatic
- deep somatic
- somatovisceral
- viscerosomatic
- somatoemotional (psycho
how is somatic referred pain described?
- dull
- aching
- gnawing
- expanding pressure to diffuse to localize
superficial somatic pain is a result of pathologic condition of what structures?
superficial somatic structures:
- skin
- superficial fascia
- tendon sheaths
- periosteum
deep somatic pain is a result of patholoic condition of what structures?
- periosteum or cancellous bone
- nerves
- muscles
- tendons
- ligaments
- blood vessels
- deep fascia
- joint capsules
how might deep somatic pain be described?
- poor localized and may refer to body surface (cutaneous pain)
- can also be assocaited with:
- sweating
- pallor
- changes in BP
- feeling of nausea and faintness
what is somatovisceral pain?
pain that occurs when myalgic conditions cause disturbance of underlying viscera
(somatic source with visceral symptoms)
- trigger point in abdominal muscles causing diarrhea, vomiting, or excessive burping
describe viscerosomatic pain
occur when visceral structures affect the somatic musclature
(viscera hurt and somatic symptoms)
- reflex spasm/rigidity of abdominal muscles secondary to acute appendicitis
- pectoral trigger point associated with acute MI
describe somatoemotional pain
aka psychosomatic pain
occurs when emotional or psychologic distress produces physical symptoms
- can be for a brief period
- recurrent/multiple manifestations over months and years
- somatization disorder
Describe visceral sources of pain
- includes internal organs and heart muscles
- not well localized and reported as diffuse
- multisegmental innervation
- few nerve receptors in the organs
- often accompanied by ANS response
- has ability to result in referred pain
what type of ANS responses may occur due to visceral sources of pain?
- change in vitals
- diaphoresis
- skin pallor
- S/S associated with the involved organ system
List the characteristics of viscerogenic pain
- gradual, progressive and cyclical pain patterns
- condition gradually gets worse
- not the same as “cooperate-get better-then overdo”
- Constant pain
- PT intervention fails
- pain does not fit expected pattern
List red flags assocaited with characteristics of viscerogenic pain
- constant and intense pain
- especially in presence of hx of cancer
- ask “do you have that pain right now?”
- pt will often report a position or 2 that makes pain better or worse
- lack of progress in PT
- early improvement in PT followed by a turn for the worse
how is bone pain and aspirin an odd clincal situation?
- Red flag if there is disproportionate relief of bone pain with simple aspirin
- suggests bone pain secondary to cancer
- this is b/c aspirin inhibits pain-inducing prostaglandins produced by tumors
describe neuropathic sources of pain
- results from damage to/pathophysiologic changes to peripheral or central nervous system
- possible due to damage to peripheral nerve, a pathway in the spinal cord or neurons in the brain
- may cause sensory and/or motor dysfunction
T/F: individuals with the same lesion may not have the same pain/symptoms
TRUE
how is neuropathic pain typically described?
- sharp
- shooting
- burning
- tingling
- producing electric shock sensation
- pain is steady or can be caused by non-noxious stimulus (light touch, cold)
T/F: it is uncommon to have a combo of neuropathic and somatic pain
FALSE
what is referred pain?
pain felt in area far from the site of the lesion but supplied by the same or adjacent neural segments
occurs secondary to shared central pathways