The theory suggests these gates can open and close, allowing pain signals to proceed to the brain or stopping them in their tracks. Very controversial when it was introduced, the gate control theory eventually won acceptance by pain researchers around the world. From this benchmark work came the identification of several chemicals involved in the body's internal pain control arsenal, including endorphins, powerful morphine like substances found in the central nervous system. But it is only in the last 10 to 15 years that scientists have begun to comprehend more fully what pain really is, a monumental feat when you consider that the experience of pain is entirely subjective. No two people experience pain in exactly the same way, even if they share the same injury or illness.
People report pain differently to their health care providers.
Its impact on quality of life varies from person to person. It's no wonder tracking the exact path of pain in the body, predicting pain responses, and developing better pain management therapies have proven difficult. Much of what scientists have learned in the last decade has resulted from new technologies that allow them to see more deeply inside the brain, where the body's pain perception software is housed. Computer topography scanning, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound technology all have been enhanced, giving doctors and researchers a better view of what happens when a body is in pain. I stubbed my toe.