PAT 20A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Posterior Grey Column, Cytochrome P450, Nociception
27 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Analgesics, also known as painkillers, are medications that relieve pain. Opioid analgesics treat moderate to severe pain. Pain is an unpleasant sensory/emotional experience associated with potential tissue damage. Pain results from the stimulation of sensory nerve fibres called nociceptors that transmit pain from the body to the spine and brain causing the sensation of pain called nociception. Pain threshold: the level of stimulus needed to produce a painful sensation (physiological) Pain tolerance: the amount of pain that an individual can endure before it interferes with normal function (psychological) Three main receptors involved in pain: mu receptors, kappa receptors, and delta receptors. Cutaneous pain: originates from the skin or mucous membranes. Deep somatic pain: originates from skeletal muscles, ligaments or joints. Visceral pain: originates from internal organs or smooth muscles. Referred pain: occurring in an area away from the organ of origin. Acute pain: sudden and usually subsides with treatment.
