Medicus, Vol. 23 No. 1 Fenomen boli, 2014.
Review article
A Phenomenon of Pain – Anatomy, Physiology, Types
Livia Puljak
Damir Sapunar
Abstract
Pain is not only a sensory phenomenon, travelling from the periphery to the brain, but also an emotional experience. Peripheral receptors called nociceptors receive the information about harmful stimuli, and this information is further transmitted via peripheral nerves to the dorsal root ganglion, the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and to the brain via ascending pathways. There is no centre for pain but, the information about harmful stimuli reaches many parts of the brain. Therefore, the experience of pain does not only depend on the intensity of the harmful stimuli, but also on multiple psychological phenomena. Injury may induce changes of the neuronal function in the peripheral nervous system and in the dorsal horn, and consequently peripheral and central sensitization, contributing to the development of chronic pain. Even though pain is essentially a protective mechanism, not every type of pain is useful for the organism. Acute or nociceptive pain has this protective function, pointing out to the origin and type of harmful stimuli. On the other hand, chronic pain that lasts long after harmful stimuli have disappeared, and neuropathic pain caused by a lesion or a disease of the somatosensory system are pathological types of pain without any evolutionary purpose. Despite numerous advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of pain, there are many
unresolved questions about pain and its development and therapy, especially when it comes to the pathological types of pain.
Keywords
pain: anatomy: physiology: nociceptors: sensitization: types of pain
Hrčak ID:
122388
URI
Publication date:
22.5.2014.
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