Week 2 - Pain Flashcards
Experiences of pain can be described by two components..
- sensory component
- affective and cognitive component
Somatic pain
- within the skin or deeper (bones/joints/muscle)
- somatosensory nerve detect the pain stimulus
- can be presented as referred pain
Visceral pain
- within or around organs
- sympathetic nervous system fibers detect the pain stimulus
What are the 3 types of pain
- nociceptive pain
- inflammatory pain
- pathological
What is pathological pain?
- not due to a damaging stimulus
- often an outcome of peripheral nerve damage (neuropathic pain)
Pathological pain physiology
- nerves fire spontaneously -> pain sensation in absence of stimulus
- CNS relays pain info to other parts of the brain
3 key points for reconceptualizing pain (Moseley)
- pain level is not proportionate to tissue injury
- pain is modulated by main factors (somatic, psychological, social domains)
- the relationship between pain and the state of the tissues becomes less predictable as pain persists
Pain threshold definition
the level of stimulation needed to activate the pain pathway and achieve a perceivable signal to the brain
Pain tolerance definition
the ability to withstand pain - intensity and time
What is pain tolerance modulated by?
modulated by endorphins
What is an endorphin?
NTs that help reduce pain (increase pain threshold)
AKA endogenous opioids
What affects pain perception and response?
- age
- culture
- family traditions
- prior experience
- fear or anxiety
Pain receptors:
Nociceptors (free nerve endings)
- sense extreme thermal, chemical, mechanical stimuli
2 types of afferent fibers in the pain pathways
- A delta fibers (larger, myelinated)
- C fibers (small, unmyelinated)
A-delta fibers
- larger, myelinated
- low threshold pain (mechanical and thermal) receptors in skin
- transmit sharp, well-localized pain sensations
C-fibers
- small, unmyelinated
- high threshold thermo-, mechano-, and chemo- receptors (dull, throbbing, aching, burning pain, poorly localized)
- found in muscle, tendons, body organs, and skin
Chronic pain classifications
- lasting more than 3 months
- not usually an extension of acute pain
- may become a issue of nerve hypersensitivity
- may be localized within the CNS
- may be a mix of excitatory and inhibitory systems
Pain management goal
remove the causes of pain
Neuromodulation
e.g. transcranial magnetic stimulation
- stimulate nerve cells in specific brain region
- effective treatment for chronic depression and neuropathic pain
Safe movement and exercise for pain
- helps desensitize the sensitized nervous system
- anti-inflammatory
- visualize movement first
- find enjoyable exercise
