Treatment Effects Flashcards
Define mechanotransduction and outline the steps by which it occurs.
An ongoing physiological process whereby cells sense and respond to mechanical loads. This process can be broken into three stages:
- Mechanocoupling: Refers to physical load (often shear or compression) causing a physical perturbation to cells that make up a tissue which initiates various chemical responses both within and among cells. This response is proportionate to the type, magnitude and duration of loading (i.e. the greater the load, the greater the response).
- Cell-cell communication: This response is communicated to distant cells which register the new signal despite not being subject to any mechanical loading.
- Effector Response: The signalled cells respond in kind, by way of stimulating tissue growth and repair, or in the case of weak/reduced signalling - remain idle.
What is mechanotherapy?
“The employment of mechanotransduction for the stimulation of tissue repair and remodelling.’’ (Khan & Scott, 2009)
Define & Explain the mechanism of Descending Inhibition
The endogenous “top-down” modulation of pain that aims to facilitate a response to the pain source by reducing the pain. This occurs in the following way:
- Activation: An ascending pain signal reaches the somatosensory cortex and triggers the descending pain modulatory system.
- Transmission: This nociceptive information is relayed down the spinomescencephalic tract to the PAG.
- Processing: Nociceptive information is processed in the PAG and relays it to the rostral ventral medulla (RVM).
- Signaling: These neurons in the RVM then send a signal down the spinal cord and activate the endogenous opioid, sertrogenic, and noradrenergic systems to suppress pain.
What is DNIC
Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control is the use of theraputic stimuli (e.g. exercise) to facilitate/enhance the activation of the descending inhibitory pathways of pain to promote endogenous pain relief.
