3.15 : 疼痛

Pain is a crucial sensation that alerts the body to potential damage.

Pain receptors are widely dispersed throughout the body, present in the skin, muscle sheaths, internal organs, and membranes around bones. Pain occurs when sensory input transitions from touch or temperature to an unpleasant sensation.

According to the gate control theory of pain, neural mechanisms in the spinal cord serve as a gate that regulates the flow of sensory input to the central nervous system, controlling the perception of pain.

Pain manifests in various forms, such as stabbing, throbbing, burning, and aching.

Additionally, intense stimulation of any sense, such as bright light, loud sounds, or spicy food like habanero peppers, can cause pain.

Likewise, pain thresholds differ among individuals. For example, a bee sting may cause intense pain in one person but only mild discomfort in another.

Pain can be categorized as acute when it is intense and temporary, such as during a surgical procedure, or as chronic when it is long-lasting, such as with ongoing conditions like arthritis.