Pain

Paper Summary:

This paper begins by providing some theories on the topic of pain including the Gate Control Theory and the Chemical Theory of Pain. It then discusses the three different types of pain - somatic, neuropathic and psychogenic and defines these. The writer also examines different methods of pain control and how these are approached in the nursing field today.

From the Paper:

"The Gate Control Theory holds that inputs at the spinal level from both large-diameter and small-diameter fibers interacted to produce the signals of pain. These inputs affect the neurons at the substantia gelatinosa This theory well supports the masking of painful sensations by non-painful stimuli, such scratching when feeling itchy or massaging after a sports injury. In these cases, large-fiber the non-painful inputs slow down the pain transmission pathways and, thus, mask the painful sensation. The Chemical Theory of Pain, on the other hand, suggests that pain can be produced by applying substances on exposed nerve endings under a blister, through a method called the blister-base technique. High concentrations of acetylcholine produced the greatest pain, while letting normal saline flow through did not. Other theories focused on the kind of pain depending on the affected areas of the body, with their respective mechanisms."

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