An unpleasant sensation mediated by the nervous system that assists in the recognition of injury or disease so that protective mechanisms can be put into action. There are at least two types of nerve fibres responsible for relaying pain impulses to the brain. Fast fibres are responsible for sharp pain, and in certain instances they precede a reflex avoiding action.
Slow fibres are responsible for dull, aching pain.
One or both types of nerve fibre may be responsible for the sensation of pain in a particular situation. The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology 3. Pain Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought 4. The Macmillan Encyclopedia 2001 5. All rights reserved.