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Preferred term

gate control theory of pain  

Definition

  • The specificity theory of pain that we inherited in the 20th century derives from a concept of the nervous system proposed by RenĂ© Descartes three centuries earlier. Specificity theory maintains that injury activates specific pain receptors and fibers, which, in turn, project pain signals through a spinal pain pathway to a pain center in the brain. [Source: Encyclopedia of Health and Behavior; Gate Control Theory of Pain]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/gate_control_theory_of_pain

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