Question

Describe the Gate Theory of Pain. Do you agree or disagree with this theory? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Answer to first part of your question According to the gate theory, pain is a function of the balance between the information traveling into the spinal cord through large and small nerve fibers.

Small nerve fibers carry pain(nociceptive) information. Large nerve fibers carry non-nociceptive information. Let's break down what the theory is saying step-by-step: 1)small and large nerve fibers remain inactivated without stimulation, and the inhibitory interneuron blocks the signal in the projection neuron that connects to the brain. This means the gate is closed, and there is no pain. 2)large fibers are activated with non-painful stimulation. This activates the projection neuron and the inhibitory interneuron which blocks the signal in the projection neuron to the brain. This means the gate is closed, and there is no pain. 3)Small nerve fibers are activated with painful stimulation. This activates the projection neurons and blocks the inhibitory interneuron. Since the inhibitory interneuron is blocked, it cannot block the signal from the projection neuron to the brain. This means the gate is open, and there is pain.

The gate control theory has brought about a drastic revolution in the field of pain management. The theory suggested that pain management can be achieved by selectively influencing the larger nerve fibers that carry non-pain stimuli. The theory has also paved way for more research on cognitive and behavioral approaches to achieve pain relief. Answer to the second part of your question    I do agree with the gate theory of pain as it is able to explain pain physiology the best in comparison to other theories and also has given us the insight into pain management and led to the advent of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) In this technique, the selective stimulation of the large diameter nerve fibers carrying non-pain sensory stimuli from a specific region nullifies or reduces the effect of pain signals from the region. TENS is a non-invasive and inexpensive pain management approach that has been widely used for the treatment of chronic and intractable pain that are otherwise non-responsive to analgesics and surgical treatments. TENS is highly advantageous over pain medications in the aspect that it does not have the problem of drug interactions and toxicity.