Referred pain

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Referred pain Classification and external resources

WikiDoc Resources for Referred pain
Articles
Most recent articles on Referred pain Most cited articles on Referred pain Review articles on Referred pain Articles on Referred pain in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Referred pain Images of Referred pain Photos of Referred pain Podcasts & MP3s on Referred pain Videos on Referred pain
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Referred pain Bandolier on Referred pain TRIP on Referred pain
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Referred pain at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Referred pain Clinical Trials on Referred pain at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Referred pain NICE Guidance on Referred pain NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Referred pain CDC on Referred pain
Books
Books on Referred pain
News
Referred pain in the news Be alerted to news on Referred pain News trends on Referred pain
Commentary
Blogs on Referred pain
Definitions
Definitions of Referred pain
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Referred pain Discussion groups on Referred pain Patient Handouts on Referred pain Directions to Hospitals Treating Referred pain Risk calculators and risk factors for Referred pain
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Referred pain Causes & Risk Factors for Referred pain Diagnostic studies for Referred pain Treatment of Referred pain
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Referred pain
International
Referred pain en Espanol Referred pain en Francais
Business
Referred pain in the Marketplace Patents on Referred pain
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Referred pain

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Overview

Referred pain is a very unpleasant sensation localized to an area separate from the site of the causative injury or other painful stimulation. Often, referred pain arises when a nerve is compressed or damaged at or near its origin. In this circumstance, the sensation of pain will generally be felt in the territory that the nerve serves, even though the damage originates elsewhere. ^[1]

Examples

A common example is spinal disc herniation, in which a nerve root arising from the spinal cord is compressed by adjacent disc material. Although pain may arise from the damaged disc itself, pain and/or other symptoms will also be felt in the region served by the compressed nerve (for example, the thigh, knee, or foot). Relieving the pressure on the nerve root may ameliorate the referred pain, provided that permanent nerve damage has not occurred.

A similar mechanism may be responsible for some instances of the phantom limb syndrome in amputees.

In another classic example of referred pain, male patients who are suffering a myocardial infarction (heart attack) feel pain in their left arm. Another example of referred pain is the common "ice cream headache" or "brain freeze" which happens when the trigeminal ganglion is indirectly stimulated from cold food on the roof of the mouth. Another example is pain from an inflamed gall bladder which may refer pain to the right shoulder and pain from a herniated cervical disc referring pain down one or both arms into the hands. In addition, tooth pain may refer pain that should be localized to the affected tooth to the opposite side of the mouth as opposed to actually feeling pain in the tooth with the cavity or abscess.

Mechanism

In cases of damage to viscera, referred pain may be due to convergence of visceral nerves that innervate the damaged organs with somatic nerves that innervate sections of skin. Because a neuron from the organ and one from the skin may form a synapse with the same projection neuron in the dorsal horn, input from either neuron will be interpreted the same way by it and all neurons further up the pathway. Since the brain is more "accustomed" to receiving sensation from the peripheral structure than from the viscera, it may interpret the pain as originating from the former. Thus there is an array of diseases that cause damage to organs and which produce characteristic patterns of pain in unrelated places in the body's periphery.

Despite the proliferation of literature on the mechanisms of referred pain, it is a process that is still not well understood.

Interestingly enough, there also seems to be some sort of pattern to referred pain in the symptoms associated with various disorders, for instance, many people are familiar with a physical symptom being associated with emotional distress, nausea, headaches, etc. but, there is a very minor chance that a person with a heart condition will have a tooth ache and no other obvious symptoms at all. Other examples include joint pain associated with a kidney infection or a digestive disorder being felt in a headache. It is not fully understood why these symptoms occur the way they do.

References

1. ↑ Referred pain from the spine.

External links

• MeSH Referred+Pain

v • d • e WikiDoc Research Resources for Referred pain
Articles on Referred pain	Most recent articles on Referred pain • Most cited articles on Referred pain • Review articles on Referred pain • Articles on Referred pain in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media (Slides, Video, Images, MP3) on Referred pain	Powerpoint slides on Referred pain • Images of Referred pain • Photos of Referred pain • Podcasts & MP3s on Referred pain • Videos on Referred pain
Evidence Based Medicine Regarding Referred pain	Cochrane Collaboration on Referred pain • Bandolier on Referred pain • TRIP on Referred pain
Cost Effectiveness of Referred pain	Cost Effectiveness of Referred pain
Clinical Trials Involving Referred pain	Ongoing Trials on Referred pain at Clinical Trials.gov • Trial results on Referred pain • Clinical Trials on Referred pain at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Government Resources (FDA/CDC) Regarding Referred pain	US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Referred pain • NICE Guidance on Referred pain • NHS PRODIGY Guidance • FDA on Referred pain • CDC on Referred pain
Textbook Information on Referred pain	Books and Textbook Information on Referred pain
Pharmacology Resources on Referred pain	Dosing of Referred pain • Drug interactions with Referred pain • Side effects of Referred pain • Allergic reactions to Referred pain • Overdose information on Referred pain • Carcinogenicity information on Referred pain • Referred pain in pregnancy • Pharmacokinetics of Referred pain •
Genetics, Pharmacogenomics, and Proteinomics of Referred pain	Genetics of Referred pain • Pharmacogenomics of Referred pain • Proteomics of Referred pain
Newstories on Referred pain	Referred pain in the news • Be alerted to news on Referred pain • News trends on Referred pain
Commentary on Referred pain	Blogs on Referred pain
Patient Resources on Referred pain	Patient resources on Referred pain • Discussion groups on Referred pain • Patient Handouts on Referred pain • Directions to Hospitals Treating Referred pain • Risk calculators and risk factors for Referred pain
Healthcare Provider Resources on Referred pain	Symptoms of Referred pain • Causes & Risk Factors for Referred pain • Diagnostic studies for Referred pain • Treatment of Referred pain
Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programs on Referred pain	CME Programs on Referred pain
International Resources on Referred pain	Referred pain en Espanol • Referred pain en Francais
Business Resources on Referred pain	Referred pain in the Marketplace • Patents on Referred pain
Informatics Resources on Referred pain	List of terms related to Referred pain

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