analgesia:
When a stimulus producing pain is not felt as painful. This may be due to nerve dysfunction or medications. After a dentist places local anesthetic, you may feel pressure but not pain if analgesia has been achieved.
Definitions: Management
dural puncture headache:
A headache caused by a leak of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a hole in the dura. The lack of CSF is believed to cause tension on the vascular and nervous structures. It typically resolves spontaneously.
epidural catheter:
A small tube (the catheter) that is placed into the fatty space around the spinal cord. Various medications can then bathe the roots of the nerves as they come in or out of the spinal cord. Perhaps its most familiar use is treating the pain of labor.
gate control theory:
A model for pain mechanisms. It describes how nerve fibers that don't cary pain signals can block the passage of pain signals to the brain. It 'explains' why rubbing a sore spot can help it feel better.
incident pain:
Pain that comes on (typically quickly) due to a specific event, such as putting weight on a painful joint. This can occur in both chronic pain patients (in addition to an underlying chronic pain) or in 'healthy' individuals.
intrathecal:
Being within the layers of the dura. This is the space filled by the cerebrospinal fluid.
intrathecal catheter:
A catheter (tube) placed inside the layers of the dura. This allows direct access to the nerves of the spinal cord and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Very small amounts of medication delivered to this space may produce results.
spinal cord stimulator:
A device implanted in the body that electrically stimulates portions of the spinal cord. It typically produces a tingling sensation to replace a painful sensation in a portion of the body.
suffering:
The 'emotional' component to pain. It may be present to varying degrees, and can be far 'worse' than the nociceptive component.
