Comfort

Front 1

acute pain

Back 1

rapid in onset, varies in intensity from mild to severe;
warns the individual of tissue damage or organic disease

Front 2

addiction

Back 2

pattern of compulsive opioid use for means other than pain control

Front 3

adjuvant

Back 3

used to enhance the effect of opioids by providing additional pain relief

Front 4

analgesic

Back 4

pharmaceutical agent that relieves pain

Front 5

breakthrough pain

Back 5

temporary flare-up of moderate to severe pain that occurs even when the patient is taking ATC medication for persistent pain

Front 6

chronic pain

Back 6

pain that may be limited, intermittent, or persistent but that lasts beyond the normal healing period

Front 7

cutaneous pain

Back 7

superficial; involves the skin or subcutaneous tissue

Front 8

dynorphin

Back 8

an endorphin which has the most potent analgesic effect

Front 9

endorphins

Back 9

powerful pain-blocking chemicals that have prolonged analgesic effects and produce euphoria

Front 10

enkephalins

Back 10

reduce pain sensation by inhibiting the release of substance P from the terminals of afferent neurons

Front 11

exacerbation

Back 11

symptons reappear

Front 12

gate control theory

Back 12

small diameter nerve fibers conduct excitatory pain stimuli toward the brain;
large diameter nerve fibers inhibit the transmission of pain impulses from the spinal cord to the brain

Front 13

intractable

Back 13

pain is resistant to therapy and persists despite a variety of interventions

Front 14

modulation

Back 14

where the sensation of pain is inhibited or modified

Front 15

neuromodulators

Back 15

morphine-like chemical regulators in the spinal cord and brain

Front 16

neuropathic pain

Back 16

results from an injury or abnormal functioning of peripheral nerves or the CNS

Front 17

neurotransmitters

Back 17

substances that either excite or inhibit target nerve cells

Front 18

nociceptors

Back 18

peripheral nerve fibers that transmit pain

Front 19

opioid

Back 19

the major class of analgesics used in the management of moderate to severe pain

Front 20

pain threshold

Back 20

lowest intensity of a stimulus that causes the subject to recognize pain

Front 21

pain tolerance

Back 21

the point beyond which a person is no longer willing to endure pain

Front 22

perception (of pain)

Back 22

person's interpretation (of pain)

Front 23

phantom pain

Back 23

occurs in a person who has had a body part amputated either surgically or traumatically

Front 24

physical dependence

Back 24

the body physiologically becomes accustomed to the opioid and suffers withdrawal symptoms if the opioid is suddenly removed or the dose is rapidly decreased

Front 25

placebo

Back 25

any medication or procedure, including surgery, that may produce an effect because of its implicit or explicit intent and not because of its specific physical or chemical properties (Latin: "I shall please")

Front 26

psychogenic pain

Back 26

a physical cause for the pain cannot be identified

Front 27

referred pain

Back 27

originate in one part of the body but be perceived in an area distant from its point of origin

Front 28

remission

Back 28

disease is present but the person does not experience symptoms

Front 29

somatic pain

Back 29

diffuse or scattered and originates in tendons, ligaments, bones, blood vessels, and nerves

Front 30

tolerance

Back 30

the body becomes accustomed to the opioid and needs a larger dose each time for pain relief

Front 31

transduction

Back 31

activation of pain receptors

Front 32

transmission

Back 32

pain sensations from the site of an injury or inflammation are conducted along pathways that have been rather clearly defined in certain areas but are still somewhat unclear in other areas to the spinal cord and then on to higher centers

Front 33

visceral pain

Back 33

poorly localized and originates in body organs in the thorax, cranium, and abdomen