What are the thresholds for pain? Low and high. Why do we experience pain and how to lower the pain threshold? I have a high pain threshold

Medical spells that pain is a watchdog of health, and therefore important and necessary, weakly console a person who is panicky afraid of it. He trembles at the mere thought that he needs to donate blood, go to the dentist. The prospect of having an EGD or a colonoscopy puts many of us in a pre-syncope state. And although doctors have long used anesthesia for all kinds of unpleasant procedures, the excuse of a shy patient remains traditional: “But I have a low pain threshold!” But what exactly is this?
Assistant of the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Medical Faculty of the First Moscow State Medical University. I.M. Sechenov, Candidate of Medical Sciences Alexei 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, often under the threshold of pain they mean rather 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, such a threshold is individual for each of us and depends on many factors:

For example, hereditary sensitivity of pain receptors plays a role - in choleric people it is lower, so they perceive pain more strongly. And melancholics are higher, and they react less sharply. In addition, the perception of pain depends on external factors. Let's say, from the time of day: at night, a migraine or back pain is more difficult to bear than during the day. Or from the time of the 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 handled earlier, even nationality - all this is also of great importance.

To this list, scientists add more 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 us assume that a religious patient, who was taught from childhood that this is how sins are expiated, and a patient with a serious injury to the spinal cord, will perceive pain in their own way, if he is convinced that this is a mandatory indicator of the restoration of nervous structures. Worse tolerated is the so-called unknown pain, which has not previously encountered, better - the usual or expected. Agree, few people complain about the 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 “painful families”, where all households are extremely sensitive to unpleasant sensations - both genetics and copying the behavior of elders, who fall into despair from any minor ailment, are affected 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 are very difficult to perceive everything, including physical activity. The most insignificant pain in the form of an injection, vaccinations for them is a real torment. They generally do not like to be in society, they are closer to loneliness. Before any medical manipulation, they have to be persuaded and use anesthesia to the maximum in order to avoid pain shock.

2. Low pain threshold and long tolerance interval. The main thing for such a person is to set himself up psychologically, then even with all the pain of sensations, he is able to endure a lot.

3. High pain threshold and small tolerance interval. When such a patient is about to undergo painful manipulations, it seems that he is completely insensitive. That is, his nerve endings in no way react 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 pain tolerance interval. 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 objectively measured using various instruments, all kinds of scales. But for the doctor, the main thing is always to assess the suffering of the patient. In any case, this is a subjective feeling. 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, the cause of which cannot be established. Such people are shown antidepressants, and they are usually treated with analgesics. This is not something that does not bring relief - it can lead to the so-called rebound pain, when the abolition of a useless drug in this case causes a new round of suffering.

point-blank question

Is it possible to raise the pain threshold?

If special zones of nerve endings, nociceptors, are constantly acted upon 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.

Councils "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. Suppose, imagine, describe your pain - what it looks like, how it looks - and try to do something with it. Is your pain like a rubber ball? Then mentally squeeze it in your hand and feel how, in response, it again restores its shape. 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 "knock it out".

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

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

The pain threshold is the limit at which an individual begins to feel pain. The degree of sensitivity to it can be high and low. At a high threshold, a strong impact is required in order to feel pain, but if it is low, a small stimulus is enough.

Each person has their own pain threshold.

The level of pain tolerance also differs in people - this is the bar at which a person is able to endure it.

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

gender;
B vitamins;
the degree of general fatigue, stress;
diseases, inflammatory processes in the body;
individual physiological, psychosomatic features.

The pain threshold is not constant. Under stress. overwork, beriberi, it can significantly decrease. 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 power sports experience loads, falls that are inaccessible to an ordinary person. By exercising, they are easier to relate to external stimuli, their susceptibility to pain is reduced.

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

Pain threshold is influenced by internal and external factors. Differing in different people, it can vary depending on the state of the body. the psychological mood of a person and the level of his fitness.

Find out about the factors that affect the pain threshold from the proposed video.

The level of perception of pain is not constant, however, it is measurable. For this, a special device is used - an algesimeter.

The measurement takes place as follows. The patient's skin (a sufficiently sensitive area is selected, for example, between the fingers) is exposed to electric current or pressure with different intensities until pain occurs.

Indications on the algesimeter are reflected on the scale

The scale shows the degree of human sensitivity to external stimuli. So you can determine the minimum pain threshold and the level of pain tolerance.

There are 4 levels of pain perception:

Low threshold and low tolerance. In order to feel the pain, a small impact is enough. The maximum limit of sensitivity is also small - such people are simply not able to tolerate it.
Low threshold and high tolerance. Having quickly felt the pain, such people can endure it for a long time, while the intensity of the impact can increase significantly.
High threshold with low tolerance. People of this type will feel pain only with a significant impact, but they will not be able to endure it. They simply won't notice the slight impact.
High threshold and high tolerance. These people are truly lucky. They are practically indifferent to external stimuli. A small impact is imperceptible to them, but even when a pain syndrome appears, they can endure it for a long time.

With the help of an algesimeter, you can determine the threshold and level of pain tolerance under external influence. The pain that originated inside the body is impossible to determine, as well as the feeling of hunger.

In the course of numerous scientific studies and research, it was revealed that the pain threshold of a man and a woman is not the same. The level of pain tolerance also differs by gender.

This is largely due to historical factors. Since ancient times, the social role of men and women has been different - a man had to protect his family from external influences, to hunt. As a result, he developed a tolerance for pain.

The woman guarded the hearth, cooked food, raised children and was not subjected to strong external influences. Evolutionarily, the pain threshold and the level of pain tolerance in men are much higher than in women.

Pain is genetic

Having historical roots, the attitude to pain is laid down at the hormonal level. The male sex hormone testosterone has an anesthetic effect, resulting in reduced sensitivity to pain. In women, the level of testosterone in the blood is much lower, so the sensitivity to external stimuli is stronger.

At the same time, the female hormones estrogens have their effect. The perception of pain depends on the menstrual cycle - during critical days, the pain threshold is at its lowest level, and by the time of ovulation it reaches its highest limit.

The pain threshold in women varies throughout the day.

In the morning, the female body is most vulnerable - the threshold is at its minimum, at 12 o'clock at night pain tolerance begins to grow. By 5 o'clock in the morning it reaches its maximum, after which it starts to decrease again.

Features of the nervous system of a woman also contribute to a more acute perception of pain - they have more nerve receptors than men. The nervous system in women is more sensitive, they are more prone to panic, fear, and other disorders, and this exacerbates sensitivity to pain at the psychological level.

As mentioned, the pain threshold in men is slightly higher than in women. This is due to hormonal characteristics, physical characteristics and psychological qualities.

Testosterone helps men endure pain

The anesthetic effect of testosterone contributes to easier pain tolerance. The higher the hormonal background of a man, the more indifferent he is to pain. On the other hand, female type men (low testosterone levels) are more sensitive to irritations. A surge of testosterone in critical situations allows a man to fight or easily solve some problems associated with pain.

The psychological characteristics of a man also affect the perception of pain. It is believed that a man should easily relate to heavy loads, injuries, courageously endure pain. Following stereotypes, a man psychologically raises his pain threshold.

The physical component plays a big role. A man constantly solves some household tasks - carrying heavy loads, repairs. From childhood, he is subject to physical influences - fights, falls, active, aggressive games.

At a young age, he goes to the army, the gym, is engaged in power sports. As a result, men are much more likely than women to be exposed to pain, thereby training their body, hardening, reducing sensitivity.

The tolerance of traumatic factors is determined by the functioning of the central nervous system. The pain threshold depends on the level of irritability of the nerve endings and feelings arising from unpleasant influences. This indicator is transmitted at the genetic level, but it can be changed by learning what parameters determine it. Although women experience the most excruciating pain for a person during childbirth, men in life are distinguished by a higher degree of tolerance and adaptation.

The degree of perception of traumatic effects on the body is related to the level of excitation of the nervous system. The subjective reaction of the body to severe pain determines its threshold for a person. The ability to endure unpleasant sensations is laid down in the genes, so this characteristic is individual for each. The strength of pain that a person is able to withstand is still determined by the source of irritation, emotional mood and hormonal background. In a state of passion or during childbirth, sensitivity is reduced due to the instinct of self-preservation and the influence of the endocrine system.

Low pain threshold

Serious danger - shock. The low threshold of pain sensitivity, together with the inability to tolerate discomfort, makes any traumatic manipulation unbearable. You should always warn the doctor about your threshold so as not to get psychologically traumatized. At low rates, it is not recommended to pierce the ears, make tattoos, painful cosmetic procedures with injections without the use of various methods of anesthesia: special creams that are applied to the skin, sprays.

High pain threshold

With this type of sensitivity, it is much easier to endure stressful situations for the body. Having a high pain threshold does not mean that you can put yourself to the test. It is believed that the degree of susceptibility depends on the psychotype of a person. Those who do not experience fear of physical influences at all, as a rule, are active, extreme, and have leadership qualities.

The degree of perception of feelings depends on gender. Evolutionarily determined the role of a man - a hunter, defender, conqueror, who had to endure suffering and endure blows in fights. The male sex hormone, testosterone, has an analgesic effect. In this regard, men have a constant high threshold of sensitivity.

Women have a more vulnerable nervous system due to a larger number of receptors; there is less testosterone in their blood. In addition, historically, the fair sex was little exposed to negative stimuli from the outside world. This results in a low pain threshold. The sensitivity of a woman directly depends on the period of the menstrual cycle and changes in the time of day. So, in the morning and during periods of menstruation, increased vulnerability is observed.

In addition to gender, a number of internal and external factors influence the pain threshold. Knowing them, you can control your feelings and sensations. If you have to undergo medical or cosmetic procedures that cause discomfort, you can prepare your body for stress. It is important to keep in mind that the pain threshold can change over time and circumstances. What factors affect this:

experienced nervous shocks, degree of fatigue;
the presence of inflammatory processes in the body;
diseases of the nervous system, the degree of its training;
genetic predisposition;
saturation of the body with useful substances and vitamins;
individual physiological characteristics;
the amount of vitamin B necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system;
psychological mood, psychosomatic characteristics, emotions.

There are four types of people according to the tolerance of unpleasant sensations. The first type has a low sensitivity threshold. Such people acutely perceive minor physical, psychological pain. The second type differs from the first in a wide tolerance range. This means that they perceive pain hard, but they are able to endure suffering. The third type is characterized by a high degree of tolerance and a short interval: with an increase in unpleasant sensations, they immediately give up. The fourth variety tolerates pain calmly and has a strong reserve of patience.

The fourth type just needs to tune in morally to unpleasant sensations, and medical manipulations will be perceived calmly. It will be possible to avoid pain shock during medical procedures if you determine in advance the type to which the patient belongs and select the appropriate anesthesia (aerosol or injection). In addition, for the fourth type, it is important to develop a sense of empathy. It may seem to children related to him that since they are not hurt, then others do not suffer.

In the middle of the last century, scientists set out to develop an objective scale of unpleasant sensations. As a result of a series of 100 experiments, a quantitative estimate from 0 to 10.5 dollars was created. The name of the unit of measure comes from the Latin name for pain "dolor". During labor, a woman experiences sensations in intensity equal to 10.5 dollars. For comparison: during the experiments in which the scale was developed, with pain of 8 dollars on the forehead of the study participants, a second-degree burn from the action of high temperature remained.

On an outpatient basis, the degree of sensitivity is determined using a special apparatus - an algesimeter. There are 4 types of unpleasant sensations: nociception (a physical sensation in which nerve receptors begin to transmit signals to the brain), pain, suffering. This device allows you to identify the onset of the action of the stimulus, as well as the interval between the first stage and the last. According to the reaction to the impact and the stages from nociception to a state close to shock, the pain type of personality is determined.

Test

The algesimeter fixes the minimum and maximum pain threshold. During the evaluation, the area between the toes and hands, where the skin is most delicate, is exposed to heat or electricity. The minimum threshold implies the pain that already causes discomfort, and the maximum - the one within which it can be tolerated. Based on the results, the therapist draws conclusions about the person's tolerance.

To reduce sensitivity, you can influence those factors that determine the threshold of unpleasant sensations. For example, before a traumatic procedure, it is recommended to get enough sleep, not to drink alcohol and drugs. Tune in to a positive outcome, to the desired result. Regular physical activity and sex increase stamina, harden, stimulate the production of endorphins, which inhibit discomfort. There are a few more home remedies to temporarily increase your pain threshold:

meditation, yoga classes, relaxing massage;
adherence to a diet, the use of foods rich in vitamin B, which promote the secretion of serotonin;
distraction of receptors through the use of ginger, red pepper, mustard, horseradish, chili peppers.

It is impossible to completely change the sensitivity, because it is laid at the level of genetics. There are techniques that only temporarily change the pain threshold. A high threshold of sensitivity causes delight in many, it helps to endure intense unpleasant effects, but this also indicates low sensitivity. In sex, seafood, massages, essential oils, ice cubes will help enhance sensations.

Awareness of personal tolerance for discomfort will help you decide whether to do cosmetic procedures that cause injury. This helps to determine whether anesthesia is needed in this case, what kind of it to apply. Knowing the absolute threshold of pain, you can train nociceptors - zones of nerve endings that respond to unpleasant sensations. Those who walk barefoot on broken glass are doing sensitivity work, adapting to traumatic external factors.

In the integral structure of the human psyche, with a certain degree of conventionality, individual mental processes can be distinguished. Their processes can be divided into three groups: cognitive, emotional, volitional. When individual properties of various phenomena and objects of the surrounding world act on the human senses, the simplest of cognitive processes is triggered - sensation. Depending on the analyzer that is exposed to the external environment, visual and auditory, olfactory and gustatory, tactile and temperature sensations can be distinguished. Feelings that reflect are of the following types:

Not every impact on the human body causes a sensation, the stimulus must gain a certain strength. The minimum value of the stimulus that causes a certain sensation is called the lower absolute threshold of sensation. The smaller its value, the more sensitive the corresponding analyzer. If the stimulus exceeds the upper absolute threshold, then it ceases to be perceived adequately, and pain may occur. For example, pain in the eyes from too bright light. Indicators of absolute thresholds of sensations in all people have individual differences. That is why such a sensation as pain, people endure in different ways. High and low pain thresholds are not just subjective feelings of different people. To obtain objective data regarding pain sensitivity, scientists have invented an algesimeter device. This device affects especially sensitive areas of the human body - the armpit area, the skin between the toes. Exposure can be in the form of high temperature or electrical discharge. The response of the body to the stimulus is fixed and the value of the pain threshold is determined.

Pain receptors of different organs have different degrees of sensitivity. The surface of the skin, for example, has a lower threshold of sensitivity than the internal organs. About a hundred pain points can be found on a square centimeter of the human skin surface. And some internal organs are almost insensitive to damage, i.e. they have a high pain threshold. The value of the pain threshold is influenced by congenital factors - gender (in women, as a rule, the pain threshold is higher) and genetic characteristics. The pain threshold of an individual is not a constant and unchanging value, but varies somewhat, due to the general state of the body and psyche. It depends on the immune status of the organism, the hormonal background and the emotional state of the person, the degree of stress and adaptation to it. Thus, the set of measures that strengthens the body and keeps the psyche in good condition will also contribute to some increase in the threshold of pain sensitivity. A sensible approach to nutrition will provide the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals. In addition, there are foods that increase the production of serotonin (“happiness hormone”) - eggs and dairy products, sweet fruits. At a time when a person is busy with his favorite thing, as well as during physical activity, the production of endorphins increases. Having the skill of managing emotions, you can try to drown out the pain - fear will increase pain, and anger, a state of emotional arousal, on the contrary, dulls them.

Is a high pain threshold good or not?

When a person experiences very severe pain or suffers from aching pain for a long time, he dreams of ending these sensations. At such moments, a high pain threshold is perceived as a gift from nature. However, doctors know many stories when a high pain threshold does not give a person the opportunity to adequately assess the severity of his condition. Doctors advise people with a high pain threshold with severe weakness, high fever not to pay attention to the absence of pain, but to call an ambulance.

Of course, a low pain threshold delivers a lot of discomfort, but to say that it would be better for all of us to have a very high pain threshold is unreasonable. After all, all pain sensations play the role of a kind of beacons, since they signal us either about the dysfunction of various systems, or that it is time to stop the impact of a certain stimulus. Obviously, their role is protective, they contribute to self-preservation. High and low pain thresholds are given to us from birth, and yet a person can slightly increase his pain threshold if he leads a healthy lifestyle. Those who have a very high pain threshold, in turn, must learn to be attentive to the various signals of their body.

What is a high or low pain threshold?

When I first got an appointment with an acupuncturist, he immediately noted that I had a low pain threshold - As if you are inserting a needle into inanimate tissuequot ;. But when he began to act on large areas of the body not with needles, but with elbows and knees, the pain was unbearable.

Psychologically, people with mental disabilities or people who can control pain can have a low pain threshold.

To summarize, a low pain threshold is when a person does not react strongly to any impact. A high pain threshold is when a person reacts strongly to combat and psychological influences.

Low - this is when you need quite a bit for a person to feel pain, high - accordingly, the stimulus should be stronger.

Moreover, the perception of pain itself is divided into 4 types, also taking into account tolerance:

low threshold, low tolerance;
low threshold, high tolerance;
high threshold, low tolerance;
high threshold, high tolerance.

There is even a special device (algesimeter) that can classify a person into any of the presented categories.

At the same time, the pain threshold initially depends on many factors: both congenital (gender, genetic predisposition, etc.) and acquired (vitamins B, stress, fatigue, etc.). Accordingly, in the second case, the pain threshold can constantly change.

I know for myself that when you experience a painful shock, the pain threshold magically increases. Apparently, the protective function of the body works. So, when I injured my leg, at first I only experienced shock, after about an hour or two, the torn ligaments made themselves felt.

People with so-called. with a high pain threshold can quite calmly withstand those sensations from which people with a low pain threshold already begin to wince, experiencing obvious discomfort. Depending on the physical and psycho-emotional state of a person, the pain threshold can either decrease or increase - for example, the general overwork of the body contributes to an increase in sensitivity, and corresponding emotions of depression, called asthenic, can also lead to a decrease in the pain threshold. Sthenic emotions, on the contrary, arise against the background of aggression directed towards someone, and contribute to an increase in the pain threshold.

A high pain threshold is when a person can calmly endure pain. Low - when a person is very unpleasant at the slightest pain. Studies show that women have a higher pain threshold. This is explained by the fact that they experience very severe pain during childbirth. In men, the pain threshold is much lower.

The pain threshold is the degree of sensitivity of a person to the effects on his body of damaging forces.

A high pain threshold is when a person can withstand fairly large impacts on his body, due to the low sensitivity of his body to impacts on him.

For example, the pain threshold may increase with the use of various drugs, such as alcohol or local anesthesia. People with a high pain threshold seem to have a slightly different skin structure than people with a low pain threshold. Perhaps they have fewer nerve endings or they are located deeper relative to the surface of the skin. Or maybe there is some kind of deviation at the level of the brain and information about pain from the nerves poorly reaches the brain.

A person with a low pain threshold strongly feels even the slightest impact, such as exposure to the skin of very high and very low temperatures, injections, cuts, abrasion of the skin, and the like.

What a person with a low pain threshold can no longer tolerate, a person with a high pain threshold can still withstand.

This is such a breed of pain in a person, starting from which, a person will actually experience discomfort from pain.

A high pain threshold indicates that a person will begin to experience discomfort with more pain than a person with a lower pain threshold.

For example: if it is difficult for a person to endure one injection with a needle, then he has a low pain threshold, and if another can be stuck at least a dozen and he does not even itch, then he has a higher pain threshold.

Threshold - this is the limit, the border, transgressing through which something changes. In the case of a pain threshold, this is when a person begins to feel pain and cannot endure it. If he can endure severe pain, then the person has a high pain threshold, and if not, a low one.

But these are relative terms, because no one feels the way you feel.

What is pain threshold

Low pain threshold

High pain threshold

Pain threshold in women and men

What does it depend on

experienced nervous shocks, degree of fatigue;
the presence of inflammatory processes in the body;
diseases of the nervous system, the degree of its training;
genetic predisposition;
saturation of the body with useful substances and vitamins;
individual physiological characteristics;
the amount of vitamin B necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system;
psychological mood, psychosomatic characteristics, emotions.

Pain types

How is a person's pain measured?

How to know your pain threshold

Test

How to raise your pain threshold

To reduce sensitivity, you can influence those factors that determine the threshold of unpleasant sensations. For example, before a traumatic procedure, it is recommended to get enough sleep, not to drink alcohol and drugs. Tune in to a positive outcome, to the desired result. Regular physical activity and sex increase stamina, harden, stimulate the production of endorphins, which inhibit discomfort. There are several other home remedies to temporarily increase your pain threshold.