What is pain?

Pain is a complex phenomenon that has several components.

Here is the circular model of pain, which offers a clear representation of our understanding of pain to date.

The nociceptive component refers to the stimulation of pain-sensitive neurons (nociceptors). When a nociceptive stimulus is sufficiently abundant, it triggers a nerve impulse that travels to the brain and is interpreted as painful.

The sensory-discriminative component emphasizes the perception of pain intensity. It can explain why some people experience chronic pain, even when the painful stimulus is no longer present.

The motivational-affective component relates to the negative experience often associated with pain. It indicates that the emotional aspect influences the pain experience. For example,

The cognitive-behavioral component deals with behavioral expressions related to pain. For example, someone grimacing in pain or someone who has a limp.

It is the combination of these different components that helps understand the multiple presentations of pain

Nicolas from TAClinique