Questions and Answers
What is a characteristic of visceral pain?
Diffuse, poorly localized pain
Which type of pain is typically associated with tissue damage?
Somatic pain
Which type of pain is often referred to somatic sites, such as muscle and skin?
Visceral pain
What is a key difference in the way afferents travel for visceral and somatic pain?
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Study Notes
Visceral Pain
- Diffuse, poorly localized pain that is often referred to somatic sites, such as muscles and skin
- Characterized by strong emotional and autonomic reactions
- Can be activated without tissue damage
- Afferent terminals are located in laminae I, II, V, and X
- Afferents disperse over several segments and travel with sympathetic afferents via hypogastric, lumbar, and splanchnic nerves, as well as spinal afferents
- Easily sensitized, making it prone to hypersensitivity
Somatic Pain
- Characterized by distinct localization, allowing for precise identification of the pain source
- Pain is not referred to other areas of the body
- Emotional responses are less intense compared to visceral pain
- Typically associated with acute tissue damage or injury
- Afferent terminals are located in laminae I and II
- Afferents travel with somatic/peripheral nerves, resulting in less dispersal between segments
- Less easily sensitized, making it less prone to hypersensitivity
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