Pain Relief AP PSYCHOLOGY PERIOD 1

What is Pain Relief? Pain Relief are techniques concerned with preventing or reducing pain.

What are Neurotransmitters? The brain chemicals that allow a nerve cell to communicate with other nerve cells or with muscles.

What Neurotransmitters are involved with Pain Relief? Endorphins are the main neurotransmitters involved with pain relief and can be found in the pituitary gland, in other parts of the brain, or distributed throughout the nervous system. Endorphins interact with the opiate receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain and act similarly to drugs such as morphine and codeine. Production of these natural hormones can help reduce pain, as well as produce profound feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

What Neurotransmitters are involved with Pain Relief? GABA is a neurotransmitter which has an inhibitory role in human functioning. This means that it is able to stop or lessen the action of chemical agents which impact people’s state. It also acts as a ‘red light’ for the experience of pain in the body. When GABA is released it modulates the physical perception of pain experienced by a person.

What Neurotransmitters are involved with Pain Relief? In the brain, dopamine serves as a neurotransmitter and is released from nerve cells to send signals to other nerves. Dopaminergic neurotransmission plays a central role in modulating pain perception. In cases of acute pain suffered after an injury, pain signals are sent from the site of injury, to the spinal cord, which, in turn, relays them to brain cells which then spread them throughout the brain.

Laughter is the Best Medicine Laughing with friends releases “feel-good” brain chemicals, which also relieves pain Robin Dunbar, of the University of Oxford, used the endorphins' pain relief to determine if laughter causes an endorphin release. He first tested participants for their pain threshold, then exposed them to either a control or a laugh- inducing test, and then tested pain levels again.

Laughter is the Best Medicine Across all tests, the participants' ability to tolerate pain increased after laughing. On average, watching about 15 minutes of comedy in a group increased pain threshold by 10 percent. Participants tested alone showed slightly smaller increases in their pain threshold. The researchers believe that the long series of exhalations that accompany true laughter cause physical exhaustion of the abdominal muscles and, in turn, trigger endorphin release. (Endorphin release is usually caused by physical activity, like exercise, or touch, like massage.)

What are some Treatments for Pain? EXERCISE: Any activity that gets your blood pumping for a sustained period will release pain-relieving endorphins into your system. MEDICATION: Narcotic pain medications including morphine, oxycodone, and codeine work by mimicking natural endorphins. MARIJUANA AND OTHER DRUGS: The temporary rise in dopamine levels is responsible for the euphoria that users of marijuana and other substances experience.

Pain Relief MC Questions 1. What is pain relief? 2. What is the main neurotransmitter involved with pain relief? A) Endorphins B) Dopamine C) Norepinephrine D) None of the Above 3. What neurotransmitter acts as a “red light” for pain? A) Dopamine B) GABA C) Endorphins

Pain Relief MC Questions 4. What are some treatments for pain? 5. Which neurotransmitter is NOT related to pain relief? GABA Endorphins Glutamate Dopamine 6. What drugs are endorphins similar to? 7. What neurotransmitter can produce a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction?

Pain Relief MC Questions 8. What neurotransmitters are associated to pain relief? Dopamine Endorphins GABA All of the above 9. Which treatment for pain temporarily rises dopamine levels? 10. Who did the study on laughter?

Answers Techniques concerned with preventing or reducing pain A B Exercise, Medication, and Marijuana and other drugs C Morphine and Codeine Endorphins D Marijuana and other drugs Robin Dunbar

Resources https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anaesthesia/StudentsandTrainees/IntrotoPainPathwaysandMechanisms http://www.news-medical.net/health/Role-of-Dopamine-in-Pain.aspx http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55001&page=2 http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/chronic-pain-relief-new-treatments?page=