Glider Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 Just out of interest (a kind of unofficial survey), can anyone give me a definition of pain? I don't mean emotional distress, I mean 'physical' pain. I'm interested in your opinions, not what the books say. What is pain? How would you define it?
blike Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 Pain is acute discomfort. When I'm wearing a tie, I have acute discomfort. Am I in pain?
blike Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 It depends on the context of acute. In the medical field acute usually refers to a rapid onset and a short duration. Pain can be chronic, can it not?
Radical Edward Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 what if it's got a kitten on it and it's not comfortable. then it's acute discomfort.
blike Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 acute = severe Acute and chronic are usually used to describe the onset and duration of a disease, not the severity.
Glider Posted January 21, 2003 Author Posted January 21, 2003 Originally posted by fafalone acute = severe I don't want to be too picky, but as I am genuinely interested in your opinions concerning pain, lets clarify terms of reference: Severe = severe (extreme or intense) Acute = acute (rapid onset, short duration)
fafalone Posted January 21, 2003 Posted January 21, 2003 don't use semantics to obfuscate my meaning, you know what i was referring to. pain is any physical stimulus causing a degree of discomfort deemed unacceptable by the person afflicted.
Glider Posted January 22, 2003 Author Posted January 22, 2003 I am in a bar, and I see a nice looking woman. I move next to her and I stare at her. She turns and looks at me, and I just keep staring. In such a situation, it's reasonable to suppose that the physical stimulus (my proximity and my staring at her) will cause her a degree of discomfort which (if she were asked), I'm sure she would describe as unacceptable. Is she in pain?
fafalone Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 I was referring to direct physical stimulus on parts of the nervous system not directly involved in cognition.
blike Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 I was referring to direct physical stimulus on parts of the nervous system not directly involved in cognition. Psychological issues can also cause physical pain. Does this qualify as direct physical stimulus? (not rhetorical)
Glider Posted January 22, 2003 Author Posted January 22, 2003 I am in a bar, and I see a nice looking woman. I move next to her and I put a cockroach down her shirt. In such a situation, it's reasonable to suppose that the (direct) physical stimulus (the movements of the cockroach) will cause her a degree of discomfort which (if she were asked), I'm sure she would describe as unacceptable. Is she in pain?
fafalone Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 That's indirect too. The only reason she finds it unacceptable is psychological; hence indirect.
Grimbeard Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Originally posted by fafalone That's indirect too. The only reason she finds it unacceptable is psychological; hence indirect. Are you suggesting that a psychological stimulus is indirect when it comes to perception? (in this case, the perception of pain) Do you not think, as perception is psychological, that a psychological basis is direct, and a physical reason is indirect? After all, your fingers (for example) do not feel pain: your brain does.
fafalone Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 There's a clear distinction between conscious and unconscious rooted thought.
Radical Edward Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Originally posted by Grimbeard After all, your fingers (for example) do not feel pain: your brain does. if I stick a pin in your finger, you withdraw... the signal goes through an entire 3 nerves before it hits your muscle and makes you pull your arm away. It's a reflex... you have started to move even before your brain catches up and says 'ow, what did you do that for' real pain....
fafalone Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 That's exactly what the reflex arc is; the neurons in your spinal cord interpret the signal and determine the response. Of course, if you start thinking about it you can obviously stop the reflex; but conscious thought isn't usually involved.
Grimbeard Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Originally posted by Radical Edward if I stick a pin in your finger, you withdraw... the signal goes through an entire 3 nerves before it hits your muscle and makes you pull your arm away. It's a reflex... you have started to move even before your brain catches up and says 'ow, what did you do that for' real pain.... A fair point - but as you imply yourself: the reflex is not pain. Pain is what happens when your brain says "'ow, what did you do that for" and interprets the stimulus as pain.
fafalone Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Your brain does say that, just after the reflex has already been signalled.
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