Pain - Open Learning
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Pain is a central concern of health care practitioners. Descartes' concept that pain is produced by direct transmission from injured tissues to a pain centre in the brain is reviewed in the light of current understanding: pain impulses reaching the brain are filtered according to activity in other neural pathways and psychological variables such as past experience and attention. This open learning topic integrates anatomical, physiological, and psychological aspects of pain to give a better insight into this important topic.
| Contents | |
| Introduction | |
| Definitions of Pain | |
| Sources of Pain |
Mechanical Chemical Thermal Electrical |
| Anatomy of Pain pathways | Receptors Peripheral Pain pathways Pain pathways within CNS Higher level integration of Pain Development of Pain pathways |
| Physiology of Pain | Substance P Endorphin and enkephalin: natural opiates Sensitisation Gate theory of Pain control |
|
Psychology of Pain |
Central sensitisation Psychogenic Pain |
| Referred Pain | |
| Phantom Pain | |
| Reactions to Pain |
Reflexes Emotional responses |
| Treatment of Pain | Assessment of Pain Analgesia Anaesthesia |
| References | |
| Learning Outcomes | |