Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
07:12
Chronic Post-Ischemia Pain Model for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-I in Rats
Published on: January 21, 2020
7.1K
Pathophysiology of pain: a practical primer.
Adeline Fong1, Stephan A Schug
1Perth, Australia From the Department of Pain Management, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; and Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Anaesthesiology Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|September 26, 2014
Summary
Pain is a complex subjective experience, classified as physiological or pathological. Understanding nociception, central sensitization, and neuroplasticity is key to managing pain conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Physiology
Background:
- Pain is a subjective sensory and emotional experience linked to tissue damage.
- Physiological pain (nociceptive, inflammatory) is adaptive, while pathological pain (neuropathic, CNS dysfunctional) is maladaptive.
- Nociception involves peripheral nociceptor stimulation and transmission to the spinal cord.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and classify pain states.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological pain.
- To explore the neurobiological basis of persistent pain.
Main Methods:
- Review of pain classification and mechanisms.
- Description of nociceptive pathways and modulation in the spinal cord.
- Explanation of central sensitization and neuroplasticity in pathological pain.
Main Results:
- Pain is broadly categorized into physiological (nociceptive, inflammatory) and pathological types.
- Nociceptive input is processed through spinal cord modulation and ascending tracts.
- Pathological pain arises from neuroplastic changes, including abnormal neuronal firing and altered gene expression.
Conclusions:
- Pain is more than sensation; it involves emotional and sensory experiences.
- Pathological pain, unlike protective physiological pain, is maladaptive and results from nervous system alterations.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for addressing conditions like persistent postsurgical pain.
Related Concept Videos
01:44Nociception
28.3K
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain.
28.3K
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
3.2K
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
3.2K
01:20Pain
2.0K
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
2.0K
01:29Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
15.3K
Bones are dynamic organs that require a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients. Around 5% to 10% of the cardiac output supplies blood to the bones. A typical long bone has three main sources: the nutrient artery, the metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries, and the periosteal arteries.
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
15.3K
01:22Pathophysiology of Peptic Ulcer Disease: Injurious Factors
1.6K
Peptic ulcers are sores on the stomach's inner lining and the upper small intestine, which are the result of disruptions in the mucosal layer that houses parietal cells which produce gastric acid, and chief cells which secrete pepsinogen.
In the antrum region, G cells secrete the gastrin hormone that binds to gastrin-cholecystokinin-B (CCK2) receptors on parietal and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in the fundic glands. Simultaneously, the vagus nerve releases acetylcholine, which binds...
In the antrum region, G cells secrete the gastrin hormone that binds to gastrin-cholecystokinin-B (CCK2) receptors on parietal and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in the fundic glands. Simultaneously, the vagus nerve releases acetylcholine, which binds...
1.6K
01:23Degenerative Disc Disease ll: Pathophysiology
19
The symptoms of degenerative disc disease arise from a combination of mechanical compression, vascular compromise, and biochemical inflammation, which together disrupt nerve function and produce pain.Mechanical CompressionDisc degeneration reduces height and elasticity, predisposing to herniation of the nucleus pulposus, a major cause of radicular pain. Herniations may be protrusion (bulging with intact annulus), extrusion (nucleus extends beyond disc but remains connected), or sequestration...
19