We all feel pain as it is a signal of the body which has been damaged or something has happened. Pain is a message which tells us to stop what we are doing and take a break. In order for our body to do this, the pain signal had to be strong and hard to ignore and puts our body into 'alarm' status. This links to the syndrome known as 'Fight or Flight' and makes our muscles receive more blood and oxygen, making our hearts beat much faster. As our breath gets faster, we get ready to fight or run from the danger.
Our spinal cord is where most pain messages travel through; these messages then travel through to the brain where it is actually registered. There are two ways that pain can travel to the brain. One is the fast way, known as the motorway and the second is the slow way, known as the side roads. The fast pain could be a stabbing sensation and the slow pain is a dull, aching pain. It is possible for these two types of pain to mix together. The two types of pain are called chronic and acute.
Chronic pain is associated with a previous injury or where the human body changes. This tends to be very painful. They are also known as 'growing pains' or old age. Acute pain is an injury which is new which is serious. Action may need to be taken. For example, if you fall and cut yourself, you will possibly need a plaster.
As pain signals travel to the brain, other signals can travel down from the brain which can block the pain signals in some cases. This stops the brain receiving pain therefore you not being able to feel it. We have a Pain Gate which can close to stop signals entering the brain.
Our brain blocks pain by producing it's own painkillers. These can be produced by the brain doing activities, relaxation and positive thinking. They meet the pain signals and block them, or closing the gate.
Over time, Chronic pain can change your habits and may aggravate the pain; tension, mood changes and inactivity can contribute towards it. Certain habits can even feed the pain and make it a bad part of your life!
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