Very low pain threshold. Pain threshold and features of its determination

A “low pain threshold” should be understood as a person’s high sensitivity to any type of pain. It is generally accepted that this parameter is not only an individual physiological feature of a particular person, but also a characteristic that can be applied to an entire nation.

Basic medical experiments

Interestingly, in the course of many experiments, researchers were able to establish the sensational fact that the pain threshold of people of different nationalities is different. To do this, people from different countries were asked to feel pain of varying intensity. So, it turned out that the British were representatives of a low pain threshold, since at the testing stage they could not withstand the applied loads, while the Libyans continued to endure. Residents of the Far North also have a low pain threshold.

Scientists are inclined to the theory that these indicators are proof that representatives of a certain people have a given characteristic of the body at the genetic level: good or low resistance to pain.

In addition, during the analysis of various sports competitions, in particular representatives of martial arts (boxers, kickboxers, etc.), it was found that “southern” peoples are more resistant to pain. We are talking about Kurds, Africans, Arabs. Caucasians can also be classified as having “special” endurance. At the same time, northern European peoples demonstrated the opposite. Thus, Norwegians, Irish and English have a low pain threshold.

Asians (Japanese, Chinese) can also be classified as representatives who are unable to tolerate pain. Compared to the Europeans, during the tests they showed a rather weak result. At the same time, they were influenced by various devices, injections (causing migraines) and other methods. Various types of pain are known in medicine: heat, cold, ischemic and others. For the purity of the experiment at the medical center, representatives of different races were influenced by many types of pain. Thus, the research conducted can be called very objective and sufficiently reasoned for this theory to become a confirmation of the fact: ethnic differences in overcoming pain do exist.

Naturally, other experiments that were carried out within a certain race also showed fluctuations and proved that the level of the pain threshold can be influenced by factors such as profession, age, gender, material well-being, social status, etc. But these results are completely relevant to the topic another theory - less large-scale than research conducted between different peoples.

The level of pain perception in people depends on many external factors and individual characteristics. Men and women perceive pain differently, this is due to physiological and psychological differences.

The pain threshold represents the limit at which an individual begins to feel pain. The degree of sensitivity to it can be high and low. If the threshold is high, a strong stimulus is required to feel pain; if it is low, a small stimulus is sufficient.

The level of tolerance also differs among people - this is the level at which a person is able to tolerate it.

Each person has their own pain threshold, which is influenced by factors such as:

genetic predisposition;
gender;
group B;
degree of general fatigue, stress;
diseases, inflammatory processes in the body;
individual physiological, psychosomatic characteristics.

The pain threshold is a variable value. Under the influence of overwork, vitamin deficiency, it can decrease significantly. This indicator is affected by various diseases - when the body is weakened, it is more sensitive to irritants than when it is healthy and full of strength.

It can be developed and trained. For example, adherents of strength sports experience stress and falls that are inaccessible to an ordinary person. By training, they respond more easily to external stimuli, and their sensitivity to pain decreases.

Athletes are able to withstand much more impact than an ordinary person and endure it for a long time.

The pain threshold is influenced by internal and external factors. Differing from person to person, it can vary depending on the condition, psychological mood of the person and his level of fitness.

Learn about the factors influencing the pain threshold from the proposed video.

Pain threshold: how to determine?

The level of pain perception is not a constant value, however, it can be measured. For this purpose, a special device is used - an algesimeter.

The pain threshold is characterized by the level of irritation caused to the nervous system at which a person experiences pain. This level is individual for everyone. The same exposure to any irritant may cause severe pain in one person, but insignificant pain in another. This means that in the first case there is a low pain threshold, and in the second - a high one. But it is worth noting that the level of pain tolerance is not constant; it can decrease as a result of a lack of vitamins, overwork and other factors. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Sensitivity to pain

So, the pain threshold is determined by the maximum intensity of pain that a person can endure at a certain moment and under specific conditions. Why do some people have a high pain threshold and others have a low one? The differences are caused by the characteristics of pathological processes relevant to humans. Based on the level of sensitivity to pain, one can determine the personality traits of an individual, the effectiveness of his social and biological adaptation, and his general state of health. For example, when examining people who attempted suicide, it was revealed that they were characterized by increased pain tolerance. From the above, we can conclude that the pain threshold largely depends on the psychological characteristics of each individual person. Thenic emotions, that is, those that encourage active activity (joy, excitement, aggression, etc.), increase the threshold of pain, and asthenic, that is, those that depress the state (fear, sadness, depression, etc.), on the contrary, lower it . Based on the characteristics of pain perception, all people are divided into four types. You can find out which of these types you specifically belong to by taking a test on an algesimeter - a special pain meter. We'll talk about how this procedure is performed a little later.

Features of the pain threshold in women and men

Sensitivity to pain depends not only on the state of the nervous system, but also on hormonal levels. In women, estrogens act as regulators of pain, which in critical situations can increase the pain threshold. So, during childbirth, the level of estrogen simply goes off scale, resulting in natural pain relief. In men, testosterone is produced, which also acts as an analgesic in conditions of pain. But emotions also play an important role. Since ancient times, it has been arranged that a man is a breadwinner, belongs to the stronger sex, therefore, even having received some damage, he must find the strength to cope with the pain. A woman, on the contrary, represents the weaker sex, more sensitive not so much physically as emotionally. Therefore, even with minor pain, ladies often panic and throw a tantrum.

Measuring pain sensitivity

As already mentioned, you can find out your pain threshold using a miracle device - an algesimeter. Most often, the study is carried out in the area between the fingers or toes, since these places have the most delicate skin. Apply electric current or heat to the area. The device records the minimum level of irritation, that is, the one at which you begin to experience pain, and the maximum, that is, the one within which you can tolerate it. Based on the results of the study, the specialist will draw a conclusion about which of the four types of pain perception you belong to. Unfortunately, you won’t find algesimeters in regular clinics. Therefore, you will have to work hard to find an institution where such research can be carried out.

Sensitivity to pain

So, the pain threshold is determined by the maximum intensity of pain that a person can endure at a certain moment and under specific conditions. Why do some people have a high pain threshold and others have a low one? The differences are caused by the characteristics of pathological processes relevant to humans. Based on the level of sensitivity to pain, one can determine the personality traits of an individual, the effectiveness of his social and biological adaptation, and his general state of health. For example, when examining people who attempted suicide, it was revealed that they were characterized by increased pain tolerance. From the above, we can conclude that the pain threshold largely depends on the psychological characteristics of each individual person. Thenic emotions, that is, those that encourage active activity (joy, excitement, aggression, etc.), increase the threshold of pain, and asthenic, that is, those that depress the state (fear, sadness, depression, etc.), on the contrary, lower it . Based on the characteristics of pain perception, all people are divided into four types. You can find out which of these types you specifically belong to by undergoing a study using an algesimeter - a special pain meter. We'll talk about how this procedure is performed a little later.

Features of the pain threshold in women and men

Measuring pain sensitivity

What does it mean to have a low pain threshold?

Juno

Your pain type
1 PRINCESS AND THE PEA – low threshold and pain tolerance interval. Suffering is contraindicated for you! You are a thin-skinned person, prone to melancholy and loneliness. Entering the treatment room is like crossing the threshold of a torture chamber. Take it for granted: you need to protect yourself from injury and, if possible, avoid painful medical procedures. It is allowed to place a filling on a tooth only under local anesthesia, and to remove it under general anesthesia. The same rule applies to childbirth and minor surgical interventions.
2 THE LITTLE MERMAID – low threshold and high pain tolerance interval. You are also extremely sensitive to pain, but you are capable of courageously enduring suffering. As a reward for your torment, fate has endowed you with the ability to experience deep feelings, the gift of devotion and the talent of empathy. Keep in mind: it is easier to endure pain if you are mentally prepared for it. Imagine the pain as a balloon from which air is gradually released. When the limp shell of past suffering remains in your hands, mentally burn it or throw it in the trash.
3 SLEEPING BEAUTY – high threshold and low pain tolerance interval. You may even seem insensitive: you don’t notice mild pain, but as soon as it becomes a little sharper, a violent reaction follows. You have practically no reserves of patience! Under the mask of external calm, you hide a tense inner life: its echoes break through outbursts of strong emotions - joy, anger, sadness. Don't let suffering throw you off balance. During procedures that require patience, listen carefully to yourself. Did you feel sudden pain while sitting in the dentist's chair? Ask the doctor to stop and administer local anesthesia. Otherwise, a visit to the dentist may end in fainting or even painful shock!
4 IRON LADY – high threshold and range of pain tolerance. You do not experience the slightest fear of pain and even flaunt your indifference to physical suffering. Remove the tooth? Please! Donate blood from a vein? With pleasure! Is there an operation coming up? No anesthesia needed! You are confident, energetic, ambitious and cannot stand being alone. People of your painful type make good businesswomen, teachers, flight attendants, athletes and... bad doctors who consider the complaints of patients to be whining that is not worthy of attention. To respond to someone else's suffering, you need to experience something similar yourself! Although it is not in your rules to suffer because of a trifling cut or a harsh word, it is pointless to demand the same from others: they are made of a different cloth.
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Low pain vice is when you are NOT in pain, or vice versa?

When it does NOT hurt, it is called analgesia, see at the end.

The pain threshold is the level of irritation caused to the nervous system at which a person feels pain. The pain threshold is individual for everyone; the same level of irritation can be expressed in both minor and severe pain for different people. In the first case we are talking about a high pain threshold, in the second - about a low one. A person’s pain threshold can decrease with general fatigue and lack of B vitamins.

In psychophysics, the pain threshold is taken to be the minimum power of a stimulus that causes pain in 50% of presentations.

It should, however, be borne in mind that repeated stimulation leads to a change in the pain threshold, in addition, the physical units characterizing irritation are, strictly speaking, not adequate for measuring subjective pain sensations.

To the concept of the level (threshold) of pain tolerance, which is defined as the greatest strength of pain that the subject is ready to endure under given specific conditions.

Neither the pain threshold nor the level of pain tolerance can be determined by the parameters of external influences that cause pain. However, practically it is in these parameters that they are determined.

In addition, differences in pain thresholds are due to the characteristics of the actual pathological process. Pain sensitivity is the most important parameter that determines the basic personality properties and psychosomatic relationships of a person, and serves as an informative indicator of the adequacy and effectiveness of his biological and social adaptation, state of health and illness. For example, a study of individuals who have attempted suicide has shown that they have an increased level of pain tolerance.

Pain sensitivity is closely related to the individual psychological characteristics of each person as an individual.

Stenic emotions associated with aggressive motivation are accompanied by an increase in the pain threshold. Asthenic emotions (fear, defenselessness), accompanying the strategy of passive adaptation and cessation of current activities, develop against the background of a decrease in the pain threshold.

Depending on the characteristics of pain perception, nature has divided people into 4 so-called nociceptive, or pain types. A special pain meter, an algesimeter, helps doctors find out which of them a person belongs to.

Congenital analgesia
A very rare hereditary defect detected in early childhood. As a rule, other modalities of sensitivity are normal, sometimes there is no perception of pain by the visceral organs. In most cases, deep and cutaneous reflexes are preserved, there are no intellectual disorders, and the speed of nerve conduction and evoked potentials are not changed.
With insensitivity to pain, numerous fractures with the development of false joints, decreased vision due to leukomas caused by damage to the cornea, painful felons and mutilation of the phalanges are possible. However, the physical condition may not suffer. Neither the morphological nor the pathophysiological mechanisms are yet clear. The possibility of disruption of endorphin metabolism is allowed. In general, insensitivity to pain as one of the symptoms is observed in mental retardation, schizophrenia, hysteria, damage to the parietal-frontal lobes, familial dysautonomia (see), Lesch-Nychen syndrome (see), amyloid neuropathy (see), sensory polyneuropathy (see .).

What does a person’s high pain threshold indicate?

Mommy

Nothing, this is an innate property, you just need to remember that if such a person feels pain, then he already HURTS very seriously, you need to listen to your body and not compare your feelings, not feel superior to others

Ilyas Abdulvagabov

Pain
It has been noticed that even novocaine does not save people from panicking in the dentist’s office from pain. Such poor fellows usually have their teeth treated under anesthesia. Those who know how to control themselves do not need local anesthesia. A stoic's ability to endure suffering is determined not only by his emotional state. Scientists have found that the reserves of patience allotted to everyone are programmed in the genes. It is vital for a person who monitors their health to know their pain type. This information is no less important than information about weight, height, blood type and other characteristics of the body.
HOW TO COUNT A MILLION TORMENTS
Depending on the characteristics of the perception of pain, nature has divided people into 4 so-called nociceptive, or pain types (from the Latin “posege” - “damage that causes suffering”). A special pain meter, an algesimeter, helps doctors find out which of them a person belongs to. Gradually increasing the strength of the electric current, the intensity of the pressure, or heating a certain area of the skin, the device notes the strength of the irritant that causes the first, still very weak, feeling of pain. This is the so-called pain threshold. After it, the unpleasant sensations will increase as long as you have enough patience. Your personal best is pain tolerance. Experts use this term to describe the strongest impact that you can withstand. The interval between these two values also has a special name - the pain tolerance interval. A person’s readiness to experience suffering depends on its magnitude.
After analyzing the results obtained from a large amount of material from many years of research, scientists discovered an interesting fact: the perception of pain changes over the years. The most tender age is from 10 to 30 years. During this period, people are most sensitive to painful sensations, although they tolerate them relatively easily. In those who are younger or older, pain sensitivity is reduced, but it is much more difficult for them to endure suffering.
An examination with an algesimeter - algometry - requires courage and endurance from the test subject, and district clinics are not yet equipped with such devices. There is no need to worry about this. Anyone who has visited the dentist at least once, gotten a bump, or smeared iodine on a scratch can judge with a high probability that they belong to one or another pain type. This information is extremely important! When prescribing treatment, the doctor must imagine how the patient reacts to painful manipulations. This will help determine the method of drug administration (in tablets or by injection), select the appropriate analgesic in an individual dose and the method of pain relief during surgery. And in everyday life this knowledge will be useful. They will protect you from many psychological problems: after all, the pain type is closely related to the internal make-up of the individual.
FOUR FACES IN THE MIRROR OF PAIN
1. The Princess and the Pea - low threshold and pain tolerance interval. Suffering is strictly contraindicated for a representative of this type! He acutely perceives pain (not only physical, but also mental) and by his nature is not able to endure it. These are usually called "people with strong skin." These are vulnerable and impressionable natures, prone to melancholy and loneliness. For them, entering the treatment room is like crossing the threshold of a torture chamber. In such a situation, calls to pull yourself together do not bring results: you can’t argue with physiology! Take it for granted: you need to protect yourself from injury and, if possible, avoid painful medical procedures. If such occur, ask your doctor to take enhanced measures against suffering. It is allowed to put a filling on a tooth only under local anesthesia, and to remove it under general anesthesia. The same rule applies to so-called minor surgical interventions: for example, for an ingrown toenail or appendicitis. There are usually

I've been visiting fairy tales since 2007

There was a normal threshold, but now it’s become... the body and especially the head - a sharp loss of sensitivity, sometimes I feel a burn, but when they “burn with fire” it makes me sick, are they sadists?
And everyone is interested and having fun.

Medical incantations that pain is the watchdog of health, and therefore important and necessary, offer little comfort to a person who is panic-strickenly afraid of it. He trembles at the thought that he needs to donate blood and go to the dentist. The prospect of undergoing an FGDS or colonoscopy generally drives many of us into a pre-fainting state. And although doctors have long used anesthesia for all sorts of unpleasant procedures, the excuse of a timid patient remains traditional: “But I have a low pain threshold!” But what exactly is this?
Assistant at the Department of Nervous Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, First Moscow State Medical University named after. I.M. Sechenova, candidate of medical sciences Aleksey Alekseev, believes that the pain threshold is not a very specific concept: “What patients and doctors understand by this term is somewhat different. In essence, we are talking about a conditional degree of irritation of the nervous system, above which we feel an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, in other words, pain. Moreover, in everyday life, the threshold of pain often means the threshold of its tolerance.” According to the head of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery of BelMAPO, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vladimir Ponomarev, this threshold is individual for each of us and depends on many factors:

For example, the hereditary sensitivity of pain receptors plays a role - in choleric people it is lower, so they perceive pain more strongly. And for melancholic people it is higher, and they react less acutely. In addition, the perception of pain depends on external factors. Let’s say, depending on the time of day: migraines or back pain are more severe at night than during the day. Or depending on the time of year - the pain is more pronounced in spring and autumn. But as for stressful situations, they, on the contrary, drown out pain, because they are almost always associated with increased production of adrenaline, which reduces sensitivity to it. Gender, age, how severe pain was endured before, even nationality - all this is also of no small importance.

To this list, scientists also add sleep disturbances, fatigue, hormonal levels, as well as the very degree of motivation of a person at a particular moment in order to resist unpleasant sensations. Let’s say that a religious patient, who has been taught since childhood that this is how sins can be expiated, and a patient with serious spinal cord damage, will perceive pain in their own way, if he is convinced that this is an obligatory indicator of the restoration of nervous structures. The so-called unknown pain, which has not been encountered before, is tolerated worse; familiar or expected pain is better tolerated. Agree, few people complain about discomfort from physical activity in the gym, because this is a kind of symbol of a successful workout. On the other hand, there is such a thing as “sick families,” where everyone in the family is extremely sensitive to unpleasant sensations - both genetics and copying the behavior of elders, who fall into despair from any minor ailment, have an effect here.

In general, psychologists distinguish 4 main types of people in relation to pain.

1. Low pain threshold and low pain tolerance interval. Such people perceive everything very difficult, including physical activity. The slightest pain in the form of an injection, vaccinations are sheer torture for them. They generally do not like to be in society; they prefer loneliness. Before any medical procedure, such people have to be persuaded and use anesthesia to the maximum to avoid painful shock.

2. Low pain threshold and large tolerance range. The main thing for such a person is to adjust himself psychologically, then even with all the painful sensations he is able to endure a lot.

3. High pain threshold and short tolerance interval. When such a patient is faced with painful manipulations, he seems to be completely insensitive. That is, his nerve endings do not react in any way to injections, blows, cuts and other damage to the skin. But here you still need at least psychological support.

4. High pain threshold and large range of pain tolerance. These are persistent tin soldiers who are not afraid of any sensations. As a rule, we are talking about leaders and very confident, successful people.

Today, pain can be measured objectively using various instruments, all kinds of scales. But for a doctor, the main thing is always to assess the patient’s suffering. And this is a subjective feeling in any case. The problem is that very often pain is the equivalent of depression. They both depend on the same neurotransmitter, a chemical produced in the brain. It is the depressive state that explains 8 out of 10 of those complaints for which the cause cannot be established. Antidepressants are indicated for such people, and they are usually treated with analgesics. Not only does this not bring relief, but it can lead to so-called rebound pain, when the abolition of a useless drug in this case causes a new round of suffering.

Pointed question

Is it possible to increase the pain threshold?

If special zones of nerve endings, nociceptors, are constantly impacted with the same or increasing force, this will significantly increase susceptibility to pain. Have you seen how daredevils walk barefoot on glass or lie down on a carpet with needles? The point here is not the height of the pain threshold, but the training of nociceptors.

Tips "SB"

Of course, any pain is a reason to see a doctor. But you can first alleviate your condition.

Psychotherapists recommend “pain-relieving” exercises for personal use. Let's say imagine, describe your pain - what it is like, what it looks like - and try to do something with it. Is your pain like a rubber ball? Then mentally squeeze it in your hand and feel how it restores its shape in response. Another option: switch attention. For example, imagine a panel with buttons, sensors and levers, try to determine which one is responsible for your pain, and try to turn it off.

The more pleasure, the less room for pain. Good nutrition, pleasant experiences, good communication are also analgesics. And don't forget about rhythmic physical activity. If only because it leads to the release of endogenous opioids - painkillers that are produced in the bowels of the body itself.