MECHANISM OF PAIN

Definitions of pain
• Pain is a complex unpleasant phenomenon composed of
   sensory experiences that include time, space, intensity,
   emotion, cognition, and motivation
• Pain is an unpleasant or emotional experience
   originating in real or potential damaged tissue
• Pain is an unpleasant phenomenon that is uniquely
   experienced by each individual; it cannot be adequately
   defined,  identified, or measured by an observer

What is pain
event stimulates pain receptors
stimulus is transferred via specialized nerves to the spinal cord
from there up to the brain- processed in the brain,
Brain sends an impulse down the spinal cord, via descending nerves
command the body to react eg withdraw the hand from a very hot object.

Describe the different types of pain sensation

• bright,sharp,
•  stabbing types of pain
• dull,
• throbbing,
• aching types.

The experience of pain
Three systems interact usually to produce pain:
           1. sensory - discriminative
    2. motivational - affective
    3. cognitive - evaluative
1. Sensory - discriminative system  processes information about
    the strength, intensity, quality and temporal and spatial
    aspects of pain

2. Motivational - affective system determines the individual´s
    approach-avoidance behaviours

3. Cognitive - evaluative system overlies the individuals learned
     behaviour concerning the experience of pain. It may block,
     modulate, or enhance the perception of pain

Pain categories

1. Somatogenic pain is pain with cause (usually known)
      localised in the body tissue
           a/ nociceptive pain
           b/ neuropatic pain
   
2. Psychogenic pain is pain for which there is no known
     physical cause but processing of sensitive information
     in CNS is dysturbed

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