Persistent Pain Explained
- „It is the brain, not just the point of injury that registers the sensation of pain. When you feel pain, it is really a reaction to signals that are transmitted throughout your body. These signals are sent from the pain source, through the nerves in the spinal cord, to your brain, where you perceive them as pain. sometimes more attention and stimulus at the point of the injury actually increases these signals – hence pain can increase.
- „The size and shape of the painful area spreads – whereas in acute pain the area that is painful is localized, as pain becomes chronic this can extend in non-specific directions.
- „Pain from stimuli which are not normally painful– Allodynia. The pain may occur other than in the area stimulated.
- „Hyperalgesia – which means increased sensitivity to normal touch, as well as other pain, is common.
- „This means that even the slightest bump or touch can trigger a painful response, with changes such as
- „Changes to the threshold stimulus, the weakest stimulus to which the receptor will react, reduces
- „Onset of Causalgia, i.e. hyperalgesia (hypersensitivity to pain) elicited by a cold stimulus
- „Stimulus induced pain –from repeated intermittent low threshold mechanical stimulation.
Different types of pain
„Different treatments work for different types of pain
- „Neuropathic
- Nococeptive
- „Mixed pain
- „Some people experience mixed pain, which is a combination of neuropathic and nociceptive pain. At a physiological level, nerve impulses that convert chemical, thermal and mechanical stimuli into electrical and trophic messages, for instance, relay messages from local areas of tissue damage or pathology, to the spinal cord and the brain through a process of transduction (Hawthorn & Redmond, 1998; Bonica & Loeser, 2001). Activities within the spinal and supra-spinal loops can set up their own patterns.
- „Hyperalgesia – which means increased sensitivity to normal touch, as well as other pain, is common.
- „This means that even the slightest bump or touch can trigger a painful response, with changes such as
- „Changes to the threshold stimulus, the weakest stimulus to which the receptor will react, reduces
- „Onset of Causalgia, i.e. hyperalgesia (hypersensitivity to pain) elicited by a cold stimulus
- „Stimulus induced pain –from repeated intermittent low threshold mechanical stimulation.
What changes in chronic pain?
- „Our nerves and brain respond and change under the influence of chronic pain.
- „The nerves in the body that sense danger become more sensitized.
- „ The brain releases chemicals that further sensitize the nervous system and spinal cord.
- „ Chemicals that are produced when we are stressed (cortisol) or afraid, angry or anxious (adrenalin) can then cause pain sensors to trigger even when there is no danger to the tissues.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN ?
