Pain theories

Pain theories

There are some theories that are available to explain clinical aspects of pain, but none explain all aspects.

Specificity/traditional theory:
Proposes that there are specific pain receptors (free nerve endings) located in periphery and go to a specific pain centre in brain. Impulses transmitted along A-delta and C fibres.

Pattern theory:
Pain is result of intense stimulation of nonspecific receptors  travels along nonspecific pathways to brain

However, there is evidence of receptor specific fibre specialisation

Central summation theory:
Reverberating circuits in spinal interneurons result from intense pathological stimulation – they can be activated by normally non-noxious stimuli  abnormal amounts of impulses  interpreted as pain