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Increasing the pain threshold. Pain threshold in women and men: what you need to know? How to find out and determine your pain threshold

Few people enjoy being in pain. For many, even this word evokes negative emotions, and the feeling itself is real suffering. But each person is individual and feels the pain in his own way. People who have a low pain threshold are those who panic at the mere sight of a dentist. Those who have this very high threshold often do not even need anesthesia.

What are the thresholds for pain?

Pain threshold refers to the degree of sensitivity human body to the impact on him of any traumatic forces. This sensitivity is directly related to the level of irritation of many nerve endings. Depending on how much pain a person experiences, there is a low and high pain threshold.

How to determine the degree of sensitivity? Everything is very simple: with a high index, people practically do not feel pain from injections, and with a low one, they can even scream. A person with a high threshold can withstand quite a strong impact on his body: sudden changes in temperature, deep cuts or blows. A low person cannot even endure the pain of an ordinary abrasion.

The ability to endure pain, according to scientists, is inherent in each person in the genes. However, resistance to physical suffering can also depend on the emotional state. One way or another, knowing your pain type is just as important as information about blood type, weight category, height and other characteristics of our body.

Check method

How to test your pain threshold and find out how susceptible you are to pain? To measure this indicator, scientists invented a special apparatus - an algesimeter. With the help of this device, a light electric discharge or high temperature is applied to the human body.

A similar test is performed in the most sensitive place - on the skin near the armpit or between the toes. In the process of research, the device marks the indicator of the magnitude of the impact and the boundary within which a person does not feel pain at all or calmly endures pain.

Heightened perception

Surely many will agree that it is much better to have a high than a low pain threshold. This heightened perception of even the slightest discomfort can turn the simplest blood sampling procedure into a real test for a person.

Experts believe that all people who are too sensitive to physical pain can be further divided into two groups:

"touchy", or low tolerance interval. Such a person is simply not able to endure pain, for him even a small scratch is a reason for tears and even panic. With such fear pain any medical manipulations are recommended to be carried out only with full or at least local anesthesia. Otherwise, there is a risk not only nervous breakdown, but also a real pain shock;
"mermaid", or high tolerance interval. These people have a very high sensitivity, but if necessary, they are ready to endure pain for quite a long time. The best tactic for a person of this type is the right mental attitude and moral preparation some time before he has to experience an unpleasant sensation.

Often, people with a high threshold simply cannot believe that a low threshold for pain sensitivity really exists. So, for example, some doctors believe that a patient who panicked at the sight of a syringe or a dental chair is pretending. However, just as no two people are the same, so there is no absolutely identical perception of pain.

To some extent, you can control the level of your sensitivity to the sensation of pain. It has been scientifically proven that under certain circumstances, at certain hours, as well as under the influence of various emotions, this parameter can change.

There are several proven methods that allow you to increase the degree of pain perception for some time:

increase in serotonin levels. You can influence the indicator of the "hormone of happiness" by including bananas, hazelnuts, milk, eggs, turkey and some other products in your diet that contribute to its increase in the blood;
psychological training. If you develop the skill of managing your emotions, you can learn to drown out the pain with the help of self- "causing" other feelings (anger, excitement, etc.);
"burning" therapy. Eating foods such as ginger, red pepper, mustard or horseradish has a distracting effect on pain receptors, gradually inhibiting their work;
release of endorphins. The level of the hormone responsible for the state of euphoria rises during active sports, during the period of falling in love and during creative activity.

It is also believed that the pain threshold of a person may vary depending on his age. According to scientific research, people between the ages of 10 and 30 are most sensitive to such sensations. Small children and those who have crossed the 30-year milestone feel much less pain, but it is much more difficult for them to endure this sensation.

Even the very word “pain” evokes negative emotions, and the feeling of pain in general overshadows life. However, everyone handles pain differently. Some stoically endure, spilling hot tea on their hands, while others groan (and this is not necessarily a girl) from a simple splinter. What is the reason? Of course, much depends on the character and fortitude. But the perception and tolerance of pain are purely individual characteristics. The stock of patience for pain is programmed in everyone in the genes. How to increase it and what does it depend on? Let's figure it out.

The ancient Greeks called pain the “guard dog of the body”, barks and warns that not everything is in order, sometimes shows where it hurts, but cannot tell why and why. And we still trust him. Instead of a regular examination, we are waiting for a pain signal from the body in order to go for a consultation with a doctor. Doctors, in turn, call pain "a gift of nature that helps to survive." Although modern medicine I learned to notice the problems of our body much earlier than the “watchman” announces them. But it is better if he has as few reasons to wake up as possible. In the meantime, no matter what anyone says about pain, this does not prevent scientists from continuing to study it and try to find a universal pain reliever.

PRINCESSES AND SOLDIERS

An algesimeter helps to determine the pain threshold. The study is carried out on the most delicate area of \u200b\u200bthe skin - between the toes or hands. The device gradually increases the current strength or heats up until the subject feels pain. Quite a bit of pain. On the edge of feelings. This will be the “pain threshold”. Based on the readings of the device, scientists have divided people into four main types.

Type one "Princess and the Pea". This is the lowest threshold and the lowest pain tolerance interval. Representatives of this type acutely perceive pain - both physical and mental. They are incapable of enduring it by nature. These are vulnerable and impressionable natures, prone to melancholy and loneliness. treatment room for them is tantamount to a torture chamber. And calls to pull yourself together are meaningless - it's hard to argue with physiology!

BY THE WAY. People of this type should protect themselves from injury and be very careful about painful medical procedures. If necessary, the doctor should take enhanced measures against pain. For example, it is allowed to put a seal only under local anesthesia, and to remove a tooth - under anesthesia. Ingrown toenail, appendicitis, childbirth - any procedure requires thorough anesthesia. Otherwise, there is a chance of a formidable complication - pain shock.

Type two "Mermaid". This type corresponds to a low threshold of sensitivity, but at the same time a high interval of pain tolerance (the ability to endure pain for a long time), which makes it possible to endure suffering courageously. Remember: the underwater witch, who turned the mermaid tail into a pair of legs, predicted that every step of the girl would be like a dagger strike? However, the Little Mermaid did not show that she was in pain. However, if you are of this type, you should not blame fate: as a reward for torment, she endowed you with the ability to experience deep feelings, the gift of devotion and the talent of empathy, in a word, she did everything so that you feel the fullness of life every minute.

BY THE WAY. If you are a "Mermaid", you can mentally set yourself up to endure any discomfort. So, for example, when going to donate blood, imagine the pain, say, in the form of a large balloon from which air comes out. And when only a deflated shell remains, you can mentally set it on fire or simply throw it away.

Type three "Sleeping Beauty". A high threshold of pain tolerance allows such people not to notice mild pain. From the outside, a person may look insensible, his nerve endings almost do not react to injections, blows, cuts and other influences. But he doesn't have the patience either. As soon as the pain becomes a little stronger, an immediate violent reaction follows. The external calmness of such a person hides the great tension of the inner life, manifested by flashes of strong emotions.

BY THE WAY. During painful medical procedures, you need the help of sedatives and psychological support loved ones is a sure guarantee that you will survive the procedure.

Type four "Steady Tin Soldier". This is a real iron man. High threshold and pain tolerance interval allow such people to ignore pain and easily endure physical suffering. Extracting a tooth or undergoing an operation is not a problem for them. Injections are weaker than a mosquito bite, and he either does not notice more serious damage, or is able to endure for a long time. Such low sensitivity of nerve endings is characteristic of leaders and very self-confident, successful people. But doctors are not always good doctors. In order to respond to someone else's suffering, one must also experience a similar feeling, and they do not have such an opportunity.

BY THE WAY. Such people go to medical manipulations without fear, even with some kind of challenge! They do not like to complain, sympathy, on the contrary, can annoy them, therefore the support of loved ones is important to them more as a confirmation that they are loved, and not as an urgent need.

FEAR HAS BIG EYES

Of course, it is unlikely that someone will test themselves for strength with an algesimeter in order to determine which type they belong to. Therefore, everyone will have to judge belonging to one type or another only by their own experience. The experience of visiting a dental clinic, the experience of cuts, bumps and abrasions, the experience of fights, etc. With a high degree of probability, you will determine your type accurately. And this will already help the doctor to choose a suitable analgesic and a sufficient dose for pain. The level of the pain threshold is as important as the blood type, weight, height and other indicators. Interestingly, this level varies throughout life. It can fluctuate depending on social conditions, physical and psychological well-being, and much more. So, for example, during a period of strong nervous tension, the pain threshold decreases, and we can burst into tears because of a trifling fall on the street, although in a normal situation we would not even pay much attention to it. And vice versa - you can consciously increase your pain threshold through systematic physical training, willpower, endurance training. Many military and athletes specifically learn to overcome pain, and it gradually becomes less noticeable. An example of such a conscious upbringing of an extremely high pain threshold is demonstrated by yogis who walk barefoot on burning coals or broken glass without visible damage.

By the way, the age most sensitive to pain, as scientists have found, is from 10 to 30 years. Older people and children feel pain much less, but it is more difficult for them to endure it. At the same time, the fact that children have a higher pain threshold at the physiological level is a myth. In fact, they simply have less life experience, hence fewer psychological attitudes that make them worry, and therefore increase the sensitivity of the body.

EDUCATE A FLINT IN YOURSELF

We have special zones of nerve endings - nociceptors that react to pain sensations. They are located throughout the body: on the skin, mucous membranes and throughout the area. internal organs. How well these cells function determines an individual's pain threshold. If the nociceptors are constantly acted upon with the same or increasing force, this will significantly reduce the susceptibility to pain. We will also try, but we will postpone the experience of yogis for the next time. In order to make it easier for the body to cope with pain, you can go the other way and increase the hormone of happiness - endorphin and serotonin.

Red pepper, wasabi, garlic. These burning foods contain capsaicin, an irritant. The body perceives a burnt tongue as pain and defends itself by producing endorphins.

Anger- a means of mobilizing the forces of the body, which was invented for us by nature. It is this effect that helps the animals to survive in the fight, and the fighters to stand in the ring. You yourself could notice that during, say, a headache, you want to quarrel with someone - this is how your nature tries to stop unpleasant sensations. However, this method is good for one-time mobilization, and constant outbursts of anger will lead to a weakening of the body and, accordingly, a decrease in the pain threshold.

Sex. Researchers in Germany report that more than half of people who have regular sex, even during a headache, get better migraine symptoms. Every fifth headache eventually passes, and some even use sex as a pain reliever. According to experts, the analgesic effect of sex may be due to the release of endorphins - endogenous opiates, they give a feeling of pleasure, but also have an anesthetic effect. They can be called natural painkillers, the levels of which increase during sex and which drown out physical pain.

FRIEND AND ENEMY

Unfortunately, there are no universal, suitable for everyone recipes for increasing the threshold of pain sensitivity. Yes, they are not required. Pain is a means of protecting the body, and raising the pain threshold is not always good. It is known, for example, that people with severe mental disorders(schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder). In addition, a person who is practically not vulnerable to pain can overlook dangerous conditions in himself, for example, acute appendicitis, cholecystitis, heart attack or stroke, the main symptom of which is pain. Therefore, pain is not an enemy at all, but rather an ally, warning of the need to urgently see a doctor.

It is interesting
At the Stanford University Medical Center, they conducted an experiment on the dependence of the pain threshold on feelings. The subjects were induced in pain with a thermal stimulator that was gradually heated up. At the same time, they were asked to remember various pleasant moments from their lives, as well as showed photos of their loved ones and recorded brain activity. It turned out that when a person is in love, the pleasure center is activated in the brain, which blocks pain sensations at the level of the spinal cord. The pain is felt much weaker, and sometimes completely disappears. Being in love is a wonderful tool in the fight against any kind of suffering.

A person spends his life in constant motion, the integral companions of which are injuries and bruises. Pain is one of the natural stimuli and regulators of human actions, which forces the body to take care of itself and protect itself from various injuries. Each person has an individual pain susceptibility, and this explains the fact that the same actions cause different people different reaction. No wonder some of us are absolutely calm about injections or any other medical procedures, while others lose consciousness even at the very thought of a syringe and the slightest touch.

What is pain threshold and how to measure it

We can say that the pain threshold is the maximum allowable feeling of pain that a person can endure without serious consequences for their health. It is the ability to feel discomfort that can sometimes distinguish a normal person from a person suffering from mental disorders, express the individual's sense of self in the world around him and show his attitude towards it. Unfortunately, there is no universal system for reliably measuring the strength of physical impact, since all our feelings are relative, so the pain threshold is a subjective value.

Sensitivity changes

With the advent of the new millennium, pediatricians have noticed that more and more children with an overestimated pain threshold began to appear, although it is rather difficult to explain this phenomenon. In addition, people become more sensitive to pain with overwork and beriberi, with serious diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system.

In stressful situations, for example, with strong fear or aggression, the pain threshold may increase, and prolonged stress, on the contrary, makes a person more vulnerable. Unlike men, in women, feelings are extremely closely related to the hormonal background, so women's sensitivity to pain can change over time. It is believed that the representatives of the stronger sex have a higher pain threshold than women, but this is not always the case. AT Everyday life even the slightest scratch can cause tears in women, but during childbirth, the fairer sex can show inhuman endurance. By the onset of menopause, the individual pain threshold, as a rule, decreases, although in some cases the opposite occurs. In addition, during the day it also changes, at night all the senses seem to be more acute. Women are more vulnerable to sharp pain, but prolonged exposure is much easier than men.

This feeling is directly related to human psychology, because subjective perception can only worsen the situation and increase discomfort. Fear of possible pain provokes deception, it may seem that he is already unbearably ill, although there is no effect yet. With age, sensitivity decreases significantly, which may be due to age-related pathological changes in conductive and vessels.

In some cases, a low pain threshold can be a sign of depression, but a decrease in sensitivity is sometimes a symptom of the development of schizophrenia or another similar mental illness. Of course, a person can independently try to change his pain threshold, but not always training will give the expected result. Self-torture is not characteristic of a mentally healthy person, because we are led by people who harm themselves to get unpleasant sensations, need urgent medical and

The pain threshold is a specific level of irritation of the human nervous system, or rather, many nerve endings. As a reaction to such irritation, a person experiences very severe pain (or not severe, depending on the level of the pain threshold). Just as no two people are the same, so there are no people who feel the same pain. For example, if one is given an injection, then he will not feel it, and the second may scream in pain. This only says that the pain threshold is individual for everyone.

If, with minimal exposure to a source of pain (for example, with a slight blow), a person experiences severe pain, then in this case he has a low pain threshold. If a person can endure pain for a long time without feeling worse, then in this case a high pain threshold is determined. Doctors warn that the pain threshold can drop sharply if a person has a strong physical or fatigue, a decrease in immunity, as well as a deficiency in the body of B vitamins.

Interesting fact!

If you constantly experience pain in your body, then after a certain time this can lead to an increase in the pain threshold. We give an example, if needles are inserted into a person’s body every day, then the skin in that place will begin to coarsen, and the nerve endings will stop responding so strongly to the source of pain. That is, in simple words, we can say that you can really get used to pain.

What determines the pain threshold?

The threshold of pain is determined by the greatest strength of pain sensations that are attached to the human body under certain conditions. The pain threshold of sensitivity is determined not only by the physiological characteristics of a person, but also by his social life, working conditions, and level of health. For example, athletes are more resistant to pain, while office workers are weaker. And the point here is the training of the body, how much a person experiences himself and to what extent.

Four pain types

Doctors divided people into 4 main pain types, the so-called nociceptive ones. In a medical setting, you can find out exactly what your pain threshold is. For this, an algesimeter is used. In some people, during stressful situations, the pain threshold can rise sharply, which is an absolutely normal physiological reaction. Interestingly? We can set ourselves up (psychologically) to experience pain. Probably, you do not always easily and freely go to an appointment with a dentist, imagining that it will be painful, unpleasant, etc. for you there. This is the essence of the pain threshold.

How important is pain threshold?

The pain threshold indicator is as important as a person's weight, height and other signs of health.

How to measure pain threshold?

For many, pain is associated with torment and screaming. But, it's not. It hurts us not when we scream, but when our nerve endings react to the source of pain. Consider the 4 main types of people in relation to pain (nociceptins).

Low pain threshold and low pain tolerance interval - people of this type are very difficult to tolerate any pain and physical exercise including. That is, even the most insignificant pain in the form of an injection, they cannot endure vaccinations. Such people do not like to be in society, they are closer to loneliness. Before carrying out any medical or medical manipulation with them, they must be persuaded. Absolutely all procedures should be carried out only under (anesthesia) in order to avoid pain shock.

Low pain threshold and long pain tolerance interval - in this case, it is really very difficult for a person to endure any pain, but the difference is that during medical manipulations it is easy for him to pull himself together. The most important thing is to set yourself up psychologically and then people with a low pain threshold can endure any unpleasant painful sensations.

High pain threshold and insignificant (small) tolerance interval - Initially, when a person has to undergo painful manipulations, it seems that the patient is absolutely insensible. That is, his nerve endings in no way react to injections, blows, cuts and other damage to the skin. But, the only thing that in this case, the patient needs to be supported psychologically or with sedative sedatives.

High pain threshold and long pain tolerance interval Doctors call such patients persistent tin soldiers. The thing is that they are not afraid of any pain - no matter how intense they are. This means that people have little or no perception of pain. Low sensitivity of nerve endings is characteristic of leaders and very confident, successful people.

Is it possible to raise the pain threshold?

We have special zones of nerve endings called nociceptors that react to pain sensations. They are located throughout our body - on the skin, on the mucous membranes, as well as throughout the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe internal organs. The extent to which these points function determines the pain threshold for each person. If the nociceptors are constantly acted upon with the same or increasing force, then this will significantly increase the person's susceptibility to pain. You have probably seen how some desperate people walk barefoot on glass or can lie on a carpet with needles. And here we are not talking about a high or low pain threshold, but only about the training of nociceptors. Such people for a certain time were able to increase the threshold of pain sensitivity with the help of classes.

Doctors note that those who lead an active and healthy lifestyle have a high pain threshold, are positively disposed to life's difficulties and do not respond to external stimuli.

The pain threshold is the degree of sensitivity of the human body to the effects of any traumatic forces on it. People with a low pain threshold literally panic at the mere sight of a dental chair. Those who have a high pain threshold may not even need anesthesia.

Few people like to experience even the slightest pain. For many, even this word itself evokes negative emotions, and this particular feeling is real suffering. But each person is individual and feels the pain in his own way. People who have a low pain threshold are those who panic at the mere sight of a dentist. Those who have this very high threshold often do not even need anesthesia. Why is this happening?

What are high and low pain thresholds?

How to determine the degree of sensitivity
Check method
Heightened perception

How to determine the degree of sensitivity?

Under the pain threshold, it is customary to understand the degree of sensitivity of the human body to the effects of any traumatic forces on it. This sensitivity is directly related to the level of irritation of many nerve endings. Depending on how much pain a person experiences, there is a low and high pain threshold.

Everything is very simple: with a high index, people practically do not feel pain from injections, and with a low one, they can even scream.

A person with a high threshold can withstand quite a strong impact on his body: sudden changes in temperature, deep cuts or blows. A low person cannot even endure the pain of an ordinary abrasion.

Verification method.

Heightened perception

Experts believe that all people who are too sensitive to physical pain can be further divided into two groups:

"touchy", or low tolerance interval. Such a person is simply not able to endure pain, for him even a small scratch is a reason for tears and even panic. With such a fear of pain, any medical manipulations are recommended only with full or at least local anesthesia. Otherwise, there is a risk of not only a nervous breakdown, but also a real pain shock;
"mermaid", or high tolerance interval. These people have a very high sensitivity, but if necessary, they are ready to endure pain for quite a long time. The best tactic for a person of this type is the right mental attitude and moral preparation for some time before he has to experience an unpleasant sensation.