Friday, March 14, 2008

Chemistry governs threshold of pain.



Question: How can it be that my husband can withstand pain after injuries and during sicknesses while I suffer horrible pain at the same type of problems.

Answer: We all have different pain thresholds. There are many different theories on why this occurs. Some researchers propose that we are born with different natural abilities to neutralize pain. Other researchers feel we develop our abilities to neutralize pain. Yet other researchers feel we develop our abilities to combat pain through our life experiences and exposures. A 2001 study led by Dr. Jon-Kar Zubiata offers insight into the way the human body dampens pain by producing and wielding natural chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalins.

The study demonstrated that the painful stimulus caused notable chemical activity in regions of the brain associated with sensation and emotion.

The experimental subjects demonstrated great individual variability in their responses to pain, though all had pain stimulus of similar intensity.

The differences in chemical activity among the subjects ..."may help explain why some people are more sensitive, or less sensitive, than others when it comes to painful sensations. We showed that people differ both in number of receptors that they have for these anti-pain chemicals, and their ability to release the anti-pain chemicals themselves."

In this study, both of these factors determine the emotional and sensory aspects of a painful experience.

These variations may explain why some people respond to pain medication and some don't. It may also explain why some people develop chronic pain conditions and others don't.

It is also important to add that the neurological signal for pain is in direct competition with the neurological signal for movement when they meet at the spinal cord. Most of us have been punched in the arm by a friend or sibling. The natural way to relieve this pain was by rubbing the area that was punched. All of us know that this somehow makes the pain go away. What most of us don't realize is that we are activating the motion sensors in the damaged tissue which in turn competes with the pain signals when they reach the spinal cord. This results in a net reduction of the pain signals that reach our brain.

Another interesting fact is that 70% of the motion sensors in our body are contained within the joints of the spine. Chiropractic adjustments activate motion sensors which cancel pain signals. It now becomes abundantly clear why chiropractic adjustments are so effective in reducing pain.

If you live in Clermont Florida and you are interested in chiropractic or chronic pain reduction, feel free to schedule a free consultation at my office by calling 352-241-4111.

1 comment:

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