Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ACUTE PAIN 4
Sharp, immediate pain comes from an injury CHRONIC PAIN
to tissue but can also be triggered by bodily Persistent, debilitating pain, such as that from
malfunction or severe illness. a bad back or diseases of the nerves themselves,
Nociceptors in the peripheral nerves takes a more circuitous route.
1 sense the injury and in response, Pain signals enter the dorsal horn of
release chemical messengers. 1 the spinal cord…
The messengers travel through … and transfer back and forth between
2 superfast nerve conduits to the spinal 2 interconnected nerves that modulate the
cord, where… pain message as it travels up the spinal cord…
… they are passed directly to the …to the cerebral cortex, which assesses
3 thalamus and into the cerebral cortex. 3 the damage and adjusts emotions and
The brain precisely identifies the site other bodily functions, such as breathing.
4 of the injury and sends a message back
1 This slower pathway creates duller, more
down the spinal column telling the muscles 4 persistent pain. If the pain persists, the
to contract and block the pain. The process entire nervous system may be reprogrammed
can take place in the instant that your finger to create a lower threshold for pain.
touches a hot stove and pulls away.
BUSINESS WEEK / MARCH 1, 1999 105
DISTRIBUTION: Arnst, Barrett, Raeburn, Wal- 11 DISTRIBUTION: Arnst, Barrett, Raeburn, Wal- 11
lace QPS lace QPS