Pathophysiology of pain

Abstract

Pain can be defined as an
uncomfortable sensorial and emotional experience,
associated with real or potential tissue damage.
Physiologic pain is a protective reflex that prevents
tissue damage. If injury or tissue damage occurs,
pathologic pain is recognized to provide healing
conditions. Based in the origin of pathologic pain, a
classification of nociceptive, including somatic and
visceral pain, and neuropathic pain is recognized.
Pain could also be classified as acute or chronic.
Nociception is the phisiologic component of pain and
includes de concepts of trasnduction, transmission
and modulation of nociceptive stimuli. If nociceptive
stimuli is determined, several neuroendocrine
responses occur, and a hiperexcitability state of
the periferic and central nervous system is already
installed. This article reviews the pathophysiologic
pathways and their applications to pain treatment.