[The anatomy and physiology of pain [student's study]]
1991
Osterman, E.
This article accounts for the anatomy and physiology that is of importance for pain. It reviews the pain-gate control-theory that was proposed by Melzack and Wall 1965. The principle of this spinal control-system, is that impulses in heavy myelinated fibers, leading pressure, touch and propioception, can inhibit impulses pain afferents in the dorsal horn. This is the proposed mechanism behind transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). There is also a supraspinal pain-inhibiting system that operates through opioid peptides, endorphins. These substances can be released along a descending neural system, that has effect on the dorsal horn level. In another system, the endorphins are released from the pituitary gland into the blood. Several transmitters, such as beta-endorphin, dynorphin and enkephalins, are involved in the supraspinal control-system and receptors for opioid peptides can be found throughout the whole body
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