Pain is a perception that signals the individual that tissue damage has occurred
or may be occurring. It is subjective and very complex. The processes
in the body that are involved in the perception of pain are called “nociception.”
Basic and clinical research during the past 50 years has confirmed that
there are many mechanisms involved in nociception.
Types of Pain
Pain can be “acute” or “chronic.” Acute pain lasts
a short time, or is expected to be over soon. The time frame may be as brief
as seconds or as long as weeks. Chronic pain may be defined as pain that
lasts beyond the healing of an injury, continues for a period of several
months or longer, or occurs frequently for at least months.
To develop the best treatment strategies, health care professionals also
classify pain based on its characteristics, its cause, or the mechanisms
in the body or the mind that are probably involved in sustaining it. One
common classification based on mechanisms distinguishes pain into categories
called “nociceptive,” “neuropathic,” and “psychogenic.”
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