explain
pain
section
3
page
64
Backfiring nerves
N
eurones backfire. Especially if they are injured.
106
This
is something that most people (including some health
professionals!) don’t know, but it helps to explain some
types of persistent pain. We are all familiar with the image
of impulses going up to the spinal cord and brain, but
neurones are just like a long trail of dominoes – if you start
the transmission, it will keep going in any direction
available to it.
112
The only reason that sensory neurones
most often sendmessages up the system is that the
impulses normally begin at the bottom end! Backfiring
happens a lot in the brain, where it is quite normal and all
part of an active brain. When it happens in peripheral
neurones, it can have surprising effects. When the impulse
travels back down the neurone, it causes the release of
chemicals at the end of the neurone, wherever that may be.
These chemicals help damaged tissues toheal. They do all the
good stuff outlined on page 49 – encourage blood to the area,
promote the release of sensitising chemicals from cells in the
area and they even signal mop up enzymes to get going and
clean up. So, by backfiring, injured neurones can actually
cause inflammation in the peripheral tissues (for example, an
injured nerve in the backmay cause swelling in the foot).
Thismay not be an issue in the short term (unless some
drastic treatment measure occurs for a problem that isn’t
even at the inflamed site). However, if the backfiring
persists, sustained inflammationmay result, therefore, the
problem canworsen because sustained inflammationmakes
for boggy, soggy tissues. A less sensitive nervous system can
lessen the amount of inflammation in your tissues.
Trouble in a nerve sends impulses both ways
