Recap
• All pain experiences are a normal response to
what your brain thinks is a threat.
• The amount of pain you experience does not
necessarily relate to the amount of tissue
damage.
• The construction of the pain experience of the
brain relies onmany sensory cues.
• Phantom limb pain serves as a reminder of
the virtual limb in the brain.
Recap
• Danger sensors are scattered all over the body.
• When the excitement level within a neurone
reaches the critical level, amessage is sent
towards the spinal cord.
• When a dangermessage reaches the spinal
cord it causes release of excitatory chemicals
into the synapse.
• Sensors in the dangermessenger neurone are
activated by those excitatory chemicals and
when the excitement level of the danger
messenger neurone reaches the critical level,
a dangermessage is sent to the brain.
• Themessage is processed throughout the brain
and if the brain concludes you are indanger and
youneed to take action, itwill produce pain.
• The brain activates several systems that work
together to get you out of danger.
Recap
• Tissue damage causes inflammation, which
directly activates danger sensors andmakes
neuronesmore sensitive.
• Inflammation in the short term promotes
healing.
• Tissue healing depends on the blood supply
and demands of the tissue involved, but all
tissues can heal.
• The peripheral nerves themselves and the
dorsal root ganglion (DRG) can stimulate
danger receptors. Normally, pain initiated by
dangermessages from the nerves and DRG
follows a particular pattern.
Recap
•
When pain persists, the danger alarm system
becomesmore sensitive.
•
The dangermessenger neurone becomesmore
excitable andmanufacturesmore sensors for
excitatory chemicals.
•
The brain starts activating neurones that
release excitatory chemicals at the dorsal
horn of the spinal cord.
•
Response systems becomemore involved and
start contributing to the problem.
•
Thoughts and beliefs becomemore involved
and start contributing to the problem.
•
The brain adapts to become better at producing
the neurotag for pain (the ‘pain tune’).
•
Danger sensors in the tissues contribute less and
less to the dangermessage arriving at the brain.
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