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Pat Oreilly

The following is a series of articles by Pat Oreilly

We will be adding new articles on a regular basis

About the Author

Chronic pain is not just pain that lasts a long time...
Doctor, PLEASE...
Oxycontin
Multidisciplinary Pain Management...Why?
Pain Relief? You need to read this!
Addiction, Tolerance, and Other Nasty Wives Tales
More articles coming soon...

Pain Relief? You need to read this!

Pat Oreilly

For centuries it was accepted that pain was strictly a result of injury or illness in the body, and that lingering pain, pain that lasted long after the original injury should have healed, was psychosomatic in nature.

The Gate Control Theory changed the way scientists looked at chronic pain, and helped to explain some of the more confusing aspects of pain.

According to the theory the gates are opened or closed depending on how many neurochemical signals are sent to the brain.. By barring some signals the gatekeeper (the central nervous system) determines which pain signals get in and when. The brain and spinal cord then filter out some types of pain and admit other types of pain. In this case the gate is not controlled by the signals from the outside (the injured site) but from the command center inside the brain.

This information is in direct conflict to the way we have been taught to view pain. Pain can originate in the body or the brain. When the pain lasts long after the original illness or injury has healed it is termed chronic pain. Chronic pain usually originates in the brain. And, without a brain we could not recognize pain. So when the doctor tells you that your pain is in your head, this does not mean that it is psychosomatic, or that you can't handle stress, you even that you are a malingerer. It simply means that the pain message center inside the head has malfunctioned, and is sending inappropriate pain messages.

Nature also gives the brain coping measures to apply when pain messages are being sent. Very often when we have injured a part of the body we instinctively rub that area to soothe it. This action is related to how the gates moderate pain.

By rubbing the area that is injured our brain has something else to focus on rather than the pain that has been inflicted on the body, and this refocusing actually helps reduce the number of pain messages sent from the brain. This action also takes place when a child has hurt themselves and runs to an adult so the adult can "kiss it and make it feel better." The nurturing sensation overrides the pain of the scrape or bruise.

When you think about it, it is amazing how the body works on instinct to provide what it needs to feel better. Distraction is a powerful weapon in the fight against chronic pain, and there are an infinite number of ways we can use distraction to make us feel better.

Your unique neurosignature

Another very important and interesting aspect of the gate control theory is called the "neurosignature" of pain which is determined by the neuromatrix inside your brain. The neuromatrix is a network of nerve connections between different areas of the brain. The neuromatrix not only receives pain messages, but also can generate them.

The neurosignature relates to the response you have to pain or how much you "suffer" from pain. Since we are all individuals, we each have a unique response to pain. The response to pain includes how we feel about pain, how we respond to stress, our individual chemistry and psychological makeup. All these factors determine how much we will suffer from pain.

Chronic pain is a separate condition

Chronic pain, with or without injury or disease, is a condition that must to be addressed separately, as it is a separate condition. When we can understand this, we can let go of trying to justify our pain. Pain is what the patient says it is, not what the textbook describes it as. Regardless of the reason, IT IS THERE, and must be treated early, and aggressively, before permanent changes appear in the nervous system. If you think that your doctor does not understand this, get another doctor.

Chronic pain is completely different than acute pain, and much more complicated to treat. In addition, if the pain is not treated early and aggressively it can rage into a vicious monster that is almost impossible to treat. It will do things like hurt in areas that are not connected with the original injury, it can be far more painful than the original assault, and it can become impossible to determine exactly where it is coming from.

When the nerves are injured they can become angry and retaliate with sudden and severe pain messages that over time can cause permanent damage to the nervous system and physical changes in the connective tissue and other systems in the body. Over time, if the patient does not choose to participate in the process of learning to live the best life possible these changes can leave them completely bedridden and destroy any quality of life they may have.

Pat Oreilly, 2000