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Definition Essay: A Pain Pathway

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While pain is a subjective feeling, and an unpleasant sensation there is not one definition that explains what exactly pain is. We do however know that a pain pathway helps understand what pain is. Pain begins from a painful stimulus which activates nociceptor or pain receptors. This receptor sends pain signals to the spinal cord synapse. At this point a reflex response to the pain, which helps move the body away from the source of pain. Neurons then communicate to the ascending tracts to the brain. Two tracts; one for acute sharp pain called neospinothalamic tract and the paleospinothalamic tract for slower impulses. The tracts connect to the reticular formation in the brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus and other structures. (Karin C. VanMeter,

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