In Simple Terms... Ouch!

A paper cut, how annoying! Especially on the index finger and on a day that involves a lot of typing. You can barely see the cut but the sting is so strong it almost feels like it will never go away. Even hours after it has happened you go to wash your hands and there it is again, Ouch! So we know that our brain tells us when something hurts. The brain processes the message received from the spinal cord which receive its message from nerve endings. Our pain receptors are found on these nerve endings located all throughout our body. These receptors are activated by a stimulus; let’s say a hammer to your thumb for example. When enough input is detected the nerves will allow positively charged ions in, therefore sending an electrical impulse at the speed of light to the central nervous system. In order for the spinal cord to send a message to the brain the threshold of the input must be recognized as a danger (the touch of a feather on your cheek would not be recognized as a danger). The brain will then send a coordinated reaction response back to the affected area (your thumb) which you will then feel throbbing. The brain sends a reaction signal so that you may then kiss your boo-boo, or seek medical attention if needed. The whole thing seems to happen in an instant and it would seem as if our sensory nerves have super powers. Well maybe not super powers but they are super because they help keep us from any further danger/tissue damage (stop hammering your thumb). The process is a lot more technical than I have tried to explain, so here is an image that might give you a better idea of it all.

 

Now after we have jumped around, kissed and sucked our thumb the pain magically starts to disappear, just wish the same thing happened when I find myself giving in to the pain in my leg muscles during the last 3 minutes of jogging, which almost always leave my legs feeling like two spaghetti noodles.