The Management of Pain in Older People
Chapter One
The anatomy
and physiology
of pain
Pat Schofield and Rachel Drago
The human body is able to experience a range of sensations, from the pleasant,
soothing texture of velvet to the extremely unpleasant sensation of pain. For
many years it has been acknowledged that the process of pain does not consist
solely of a physiological set of sensations: it is a combination of physiological
sensations that requires complex physiological, psychological and behavioural
interactions to enable the human to interpret and subsequently respond (Wall
and Melzack, 1999).
The aims of this chapter are:
To discuss the concepts underpinning the physiology of pain.
To explore the gate control theory of pain.
To highlight the changes that occur within the nervous system as a result of
ageing that may impact upon the pain experience as the person ages.
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