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Nociception Of Pain Essay

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Pain is a protective biological mechanism experienced by all people, an indication that damage has or may have occurred to tissues and nerves which fluctuates based on the severity of damage (Raja, Hoot & Dougherty, 2011, p. 1; Lynch, Craig & Peng, 2011. p. 3). It is an unpleasant, subjective experience both emotionally and sensory that varies for every person. There are many factors that can increase the perception of pain experienced including emotional, social, spiritual and functional circumstances (Lynch, Craif & Peng, 2011, p.3). According to Dr John Keltner, pain therapist (as cited in Schleifer, 2014, p.36) there is myriad brain states relating to pain and pain is a diverse, varied experience and new aspects are constantly being discovered. Generally, two types of pathophysiological pain are recognised; nociceptive and neuropathic.

Nociceptive pain is the pain experienced when the body is damaged by temperature, chemical, or mechanical means. When damage is caused, afferent neurons respond and the four phases of nociception result. Transduction occurs when the free ends of silent nociceptors convert toxic experience into an electrical current, leading to a nerve impulse. The nerve impulse is then transmitted to the dorsal root ganglion in the spinal cord, then the dorsal …show more content…

It can be spontaneous and without any obvious stimulant (such as damage), a heightened response to a stimulus (known as hyperalgesia) or can result from stimulation that does not typically cause pain (such as touch), called allodynia. (Bennett, 2010, p 10). Neuropathic pain can arise secondary to diseases such as diabetes, alcoholism, renal failure, HIV, cancer and cancer treatments, chronic inflammation and herpes zoster among others (Jay, 2014, p

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