Pathophysiology of Pain

Pain is described by Huether and McCance (2017) as a complex experience, one that includes physical, cognitive, spiritual, emotional, and environmental factors, which may be a signal of tissue damage, lasting from seconds to as long as three months, or chronic lasting greater than three to six months and have no purpose (p.340-341). Pain is an unpleasant sensation that can only be described by the person who feels it. The sensation of pain is transmitted by the central nervous system, which processes potentially harmful stimuli by way of nociceptors, which are pain receptors. (Huether & McCance, 2017) 6501 Week 3 discussion : Pathophysiology of Pain. Nociceptors are distributed throughout the body, which transmits the sensation of pain, and responds to the stimuli in different ways (Huether & McCance, 2017). Different types of stimuli cause different types of pain sensations, such as mechanical, thermal and chemical. Some chemical receptors that are associated with the sensation of pain include bradykinin, histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandins. (Huether & McCance, 2017).  Pain has been recognized in the past as the fifth vital sign, making it an important part of the assessment process. Pain can be characterized in many different ways, such as acute, chronic, or referred, which are dependent on the different criteria that identify each.