The theory has also paved way for more research on cognitive and behavioral approaches to achieve pain relief. One of the tremendous advances in pain management research is the advent of
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
. The gate control theory forms the basis of TENS.
Which pain relief intervention is based on the gate control theory of pain?
The theory has also paved way for more research on cognitive and behavioral approaches to achieve pain relief. One of the tremendous advances in pain management research is the advent of
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
. The gate control theory forms the basis of TENS.
What are some possible flaws within the gate control theory of pain?
Gate control theory asserts that activation of nerves which do not transmit pain signals, called nonnociceptive fibers,
can interfere with signals from pain fibers
, thereby inhibiting pain.
What does the gate control theory of pain propose?
The gate control theory of pain developed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 [1] proposes that
tiny neural networks distributed along the dorsal horn of the spinal cord are responsible for relieving the pain in a specific body location when an intense tactile stimulation is applied at the same place
.
What closes the gate control theory of pain?
Large fiber activity excites the inhibitory neurons
, which diminishes the transmission of pain information. When there is more large fiber activity in comparison to small fiber activity, people tend to experience less pain. This means that the pain gates are closed.
What are the two theories of pain?
The pain theories that this activity will discuss below include the
intensity theory, Cartesian dualism theory, specificity theory, pattern theory, gate control theory, neuromatrix model
, and the biopsychosocial.
What is pattern theory of pain?
PATTERN THEORY OF PAIN
The theory stated that
any somaesthetic sensation occurred by a specific and particular pattern of neural firing and that the spatial and temporal profile of firing of the peripheral nerves encoded the stimulus type and intensity
(see Fig. 1C).
Who came up with the gate control theory of pain?
The Gate Theory of Pain, published by
Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall
in Science in 1965, was formulated to provide a mechanism for coding the nociceptive component of cutaneous sensory input.
What are some of the psychological influences of pain?
- Age.
- Gender.
- Culture.
- Ethnicity.
- Spiritual beliefs.
- Socio-economic status.
- Emotional response.
- Support systems.
How does stress control pain?
“Because pain [is regulated by] the nervous system, the brain is a key player in how we perceive pain,” says Dr. Stanos. “The brain is always trying to inhibit pain signals. But if you’re stressed, simply put, the brain’s ability to filter these pain signals is affected in
a bad way and pain can be increased
.”
Why does rubbing a sore area lessen the pain?
Researchers have discovered that
gentle stroking activates “pleasure” nerves beneath the skin
, which then reduce the sensation of pain from other nerves. They found that people who were exposed to painful temperatures on the surface of their skin felt less pain if they were stroked at the same time.
What are the pain pathways?
Typically, pain can be classified into three types—
nociceptive, neuropathic and inflammatory pain
, based on three characteristics, such as symptoms, mechanisms and syndromes.
How is pain transmitted to the brain?
When we feel pain, such as when we touch a hot stove,
sensory receptors in our skin send a message via nerve fibres (A-delta fibres and C fibres) to the spinal cord and brainstem
and then onto the brain where the sensation of pain is registered, the information is processed and the pain is perceived.
Does stress open or close the gate in the gate control theory of pain?
Stress and Tension
All sorts of emotional states can
lead to the gates to pain being more open
. These include being anxious, worried, angry, and depressed. Having a lot of tension in the body is a common way of opening the pain gates.
Is pain a symptom of dementia?
Pain is one of the most common symptoms that people with dementia experience
. However, often it is poorly recognised and undertreated in dementia. The main reason for this is that, as dementia progresses, the person’s ability to communicate their needs becomes more difficult.
Why do we naturally rub an area of the body that we have hit or stimulated in such a way that we expect pain?
In TENS, the sensation produced competes with pain signals
, which reduces the onward signalling of pain from the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (Sluka and Walsh, 2003). This effect is like that obtained when rubbing the painful area.
