Pain

Question 1

Why is pain different?

Answer 1

§ Has an urgent quality
§ Protective
§ Very slow adaptation
§ Poor localisation
§ Can be controlled
§ There are often after-effect

Question 2

What is peripheral sensitisation

Answer 2

Peripheral sensitisation happens when an injury triggers the release of chemicals, making the area more sensitive to pain.

Question 3

How can peripheral sensitisation be managed?

Answer 3

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin and ibuprofen, can help reduce this type of pain by blocking some of the chemicals in the inflammatory soup, thereby lowering the pain sensitivity.

Question 4

What is central sensitisation?

Answer 4

which is when the central nervous system (like the spinal cord and brain) becomes more sensitive to pain after repeated stimulation.

Question 5

What is the wind up effect?

Answer 5

This repeated stimulation leads to a “wind-up,” where more pain signals (action potentials) are sent each time the pain fiber is activated. This makes the spinal cord more responsive to pain over time.

Question 6

What are the effects on pain sensitivity?

Answer 6

Central sensitization leads to secondary hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain around the injured area) and allodynia (pain from things that wouldn’t normally hurt, like a light touch).

Question 7

What are the 4 different types of pain?

Answer 7

1. Acute pain
2. Chronic pain
3. Augmented pain
4. Psychogenic pain

Question 8

What is acute pain?

Answer 8

Quick & treatable

Question 9

What is chronic pain?

Answer 9

Lasts longer and harder to treat

Question 10

What is augmented pain?

Answer 10

includes conditions where sensitivity to pain is increased.

Question 11

What is psychogenic pain?

Answer 11

occurs without physical damage but is still felt by the person.

Question 12

What are the different types of augmented pain? (enhanced pain sensitivity?

Answer 12

Allodynia: Pain from something that doesn’t usually hurt (e.g., light touch).
Hyperalgesia: Extra sensitivity to things that normally hurt.
Neurogenic/Neuropathic Pain: Pain from nerve damage (e.g., from diabetes, stroke). It’s intense, chronic, and tough to treat.
Phantom Limb Pain: Pain felt in a limb that has been amputated.

Question 13

What is visceral pain?

Answer 13

deep, aching pain from organs

Question 14

What is referred pain?

Answer 14

is when pain is felt in a different location due to shared nerve pathways.

Question 15

What is an example of referred pain?

Answer 15

Pain from a heart attack might be felt in the left arm.