If a patient exhibits increased pain sensitivity following tissue injury despite no further stimulus, what process explains this increased pain?

💡 Explanation

Nociceptor sensitization explains the increased pain because substance P release from the primary afferent neurons causes an increase in the excitability of dorsal horn neurons. Therefore, pain is amplified, rather than decreased inhibition or opioid receptor reduction which would be opposite effects.

• Why does prolonged stimulation of vagal afferents by GLP-1 reduce appetite despite the homeostatic drive to eat?
• If a woman experiences consistently short luteal phases (less than 10 days) in her menstrual cycle, which consequence is most likely?
• As a person ages, the ciliary muscle's contraction effectiveness diminishes, especially when focusing on close objects. What causes this loss of near-field accommodation?
• Why does chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis exacerbate joint damage despite NSAID treatment?
• A demyelinating disease slows action potential propagation. Which consequence results within affected neurons, specifically regarding spatial summation at the axon hillock?
• Why does drug dosage adjustments based on patient weight fail when treating a highly lipophilic drug exhibiting extensive tissue binding?