Pain is an unpleasant sensation which may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage and which may have physical and emotional components. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), one should distinguish between pain and nociception. The term "pain" is a subjective experience that typically accompanies nociception, but can also arise without any stimulus. It includes the emotional response. Nociception, on the other hand, is a neurophysiological term and denotes specific activity in nerv ...

Including:

• Pain - Types of pain
• Pain - Physiology
• Pain - Pain receptors
• Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system
• Pain - Analgesia
• Pain - Survival benefit
• Pain - Children and pain
• Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia - Pain

Pain can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute pain is defined as short-term pain or pain with an easily identifiable cause. Acute pain is the body's warning of present damage to tissue or disease. It is often fast and sharp followed by aching pain. Acute pain is centralized in one area before becoming somewhat spread out. This type of pain responds well to medications. Chronic pain was originally defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer. It is now defined as pain that persists long ...

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Types of pain

Pain - Pain receptors. All pain receptors are free nerve endings. There are mechanical, thermal and chemical pain receptors. They are found in skin and on internal surfaces such as periosteum and joint surfaces. Deep internal surfaces are only weakly supplied with pain receptors and will propagate sensations of chronic, aching pain if tissue damage in these areas is experienced. Pain receptors do not adapt to stimulus. In some conditions, excitation of pain fibres becomes greater as the pain stimulus continues, leading ...

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Physiology

Despite its unpleasantness, pain is an important part of the existence of humans and other animals; in fact, it is vital to survival. Pain encourages an organism to disengage from the noxious stimulus associated with the pain. Preliminary pain can serve to indicate that an injury is imminent, such as the ache from a soon-to-be-broken bone. Pain may also promote the healing process, since most organisms will protect an injured region in order to avoid further pain. People born with congenital insensitivity to pain usually have short life spans, and suffer numerous ailments such as broken ...

See also:

Pain, Pain - Types of pain, Pain - Physiology, Pain - Pain receptors, Pain - Transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system, Pain - Analgesia, Pain - Survival benefit, Pain - Children and pain, Pain - Pain and alternative medicine

Read more here: » Pain: Encyclopedia II - Pain - Survival benefit