Summary: The Control Gate Theory

From the dawn of time, there has been pain. Pain is a warning device that tells you to stop doing something. For example if you have your hand on a stove that is on you will get burnt and pain receptors will tell you to stop. In the next paragraph, the author will tell you about the control gate theory.

The control gate theory is a complex theory. It states that “with pain stimulation, small nerve fibers become active. They activate the projection neurons (P) and BLOCK the inhibitory interneuron (I). Because activity of the inhibitory interneuron is blocked, it CANNOT block the output of the projection neuron that connects with the brain. The "gate is open", therefore, pain!!” ("Pain and Why it Hurts"). According to Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.,Small and large nerve fibers connect to synapse that connect the small and large nerve fibers to spinothalamic tract to send to the brain (Freudenrich). (Freudenrich). In the next paragraph the reader will learn about the types of painful stimuli.

With mechanical stimuli you get cuts, broken bones, and bruises You can get these from animal bites, knife cuts, falling off a bike etc. It feels like you are getting pinched, strong pressure, squeezing and twisting. For thermal stimuli you get burns, frostbite, hypothermia or hyperthermia(getting to hot or overheating). You can get it from hot chocolate, ice etc. It feels like you are getting exposed to heat and cold temperatures. For electrical stimuli you get burnt. It just feels like you are getting shocked. In chemical stimuli you get broken skin. For visceral (inside the body) stimuli you could have heart attack or an inflamed appendix. If untreated the condition gets worse. There are two main types of pain that are described in the next