section 6 Current treatments for pain

Question 1

reffered pain

Answer 1

nociceptive pain arrising in one region but felt in other
- can be symptom of serious condition
left arm pain- heart attack

Question 2

neuropathic pain

Answer 2

result of damaged to axon of nociceptor ; axon squeezed -production of action potential

7% people suffer, difficult to treat

alcoholism, spinal cord injury, cancer, diabetes nerve disorder, shingles, phantom pain

Question 3

plasticity

Answer 3

process of changes in connection between neurons

Question 4

invasive treatments

Answer 4

Non- steroidal anti inflammatory drug - NSAID
local anaesthetic 
Opiates
Antidepressants 
Surgery 
TENS

Question 5

non invastive treatments

Answer 5

CBT therapy

Question 6

NSAID

Answer 6

aspirin, ibuprofen

• acute nociceptive pain
• preventing the release of prostaglandins
• work on nerve endings
• reduce the frequency of action potential

Question 7

Local anaesthetic

Answer 7

lignocaine

• blocking the voltage sensitive Na+ channels in axon of nociceptor
• used for acute nociceptive pain - dentist

Question 8

Opiates

Answer 8

• morphine - opioid agonist
• mimic opioids like enkephalin
• work on spinal cord
• severe nociceptive pain, neuropatic pain in cancer patients

Question 9

antagonist

Answer 9

blocking naturally occuring substances

Question 10

enkephalin target pain in 2 ways…

Answer 10

1. binds to receptor on transmission cell and inhibits it therefore frequency of action potential reduces
2. reduces the no. of neurotransmitters released from nociceptor in spinal cord

Question 11

Antidepressants

Answer 11

Amnitriptiline

• neuropatic pain
• Increases activity in the pathway from the brain to the spinal cord but may also act elsewhere in brain.

Question 12

Surgery on CNS

Answer 12

• cordotomy
• Can be applied to the spinothalamic pathway, or brain regions associated with pain processing including thalamus and anterior cingulate cortex.

-Pain resistant to other treatments, often neuropathic pain associated with late-stage cancer.

Question 13

TENS

Answer 13

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation

• Spinal cord to close the gate.
• Nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Include labour pain.

Question 14

CBT

Answer 14

cognitive behaviour therapy
-Aims to challenge the behaviours and thoughts a person has surrounding their painful experiences.

-targets any pain

Question 15

learnt helplessness

Answer 15

mindset that can develop in response to feeling that you have no control over negative situation

Question 16

cognitive appraisal

Answer 16

thoughts person has about situation in terms of how they interpret or explain their experience.
That influance how people behave.