explain
pain
section
4
page
74
F
rom the last few pages, it should be clear that when there
are changes in the spinal cord, the brainmay no longer
receive accurate information about what is happening in
the tissues. Instead of a nice clear view of the tissues, there
is now a ‘magnifier’ or ‘distorter’ in the dorsal horn of the
spinal cord. Onemessage into the spinal cord is turned into
manymessages going up to the brain. It kind of ‘winds up’
the danger.
Formany people in persistent pain, this is a critical issue to
understand and it is well worth repeating. In this sensitised
state, the brain is being fed information that no longer
reflects the true health and abilities of the tissues at the
end of the neurones. Put another way,
the brain is being
told that there ismore danger in the tissues than
there actually is.
The ‘gain’ of the system is increased.
Brain responses such asmovements, thoughts, autonomic
(eg. heart rate), endocrine responses (eg. digestion) and
emotional responses are now based on faulty information
about the health of the tissues at the end of the neurone.
Here are somemetaphors
that may help you
understand this increase
in sensitivity:
•
It is as though an
amplifier on a hi-fi system
is turned up.
•
It is a bit like someone has
broken into your tool shed
a few times and you have
to install a super-duper
alarm system –make it
infra-red as well as
motion-activated. Sure – it’s well protected but now rats
running across the floor will trigger the alarm.
•
Perhaps you have got a Ferrari engine installed into your
VW beetle – one touch on the throttle will really get you
moving.
•
A computermalfunctions. One key stroke on the keyboard
(the tissues) such as a D (for danger in the tissues)
createsmany D’s on the computer screen (spinal cord).
120
The spinal cord as amagnifier of tissue reality
Metaphorsmaymake it clearer
