CMT Pain Science & Patient Education Flashcards

According to the gate control theory of pain, manual therapy techniques may reduce pain by:

Answer: Activating large-diameter Aβ afferents that inhibit nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level

Gate control theory proposes that mechanoreceptor input (Aβ fibers) can inhibit nociceptive signals (Aδ/C fibers) at the spinal dorsal horn 'gate.'

Central sensitization is best described as:

Answer: Amplification of neural signaling within the central nervous system, causing hypersensitivity beyond the original injury

Central sensitization involves CNS neuroplastic changes that amplify pain signals, producing allodynia and hyperalgesia beyond the tissue injury.

In pain neuroscience education (PNE), the primary goal of educating patients about pain is to:

Answer: Reduce pain catastrophizing by reconceptualizing pain as a protective brain output rather than a tissue damage signal

PNE reconceptualizes pain as a protective output of the brain rather than purely a signal of tissue damage, reducing fear-avoidance and catastrophizing.

Allodynia is defined as:

Answer: Pain produced by a stimulus that would not normally be painful

Allodynia is pain in response to a normally non-painful stimulus (e.g., light touch causing pain), indicating sensitization of the pain system.

The biopsychosocial model of pain recognizes that chronic pain is influenced by:

Answer: Biological factors, psychological factors (beliefs, mood), and social factors (work, relationships)

The biopsychosocial model integrates biological, psychological, and social factors as simultaneous and interacting contributors to the pain experience.

The Fear-Avoidance Model of pain predicts that patients with high pain catastrophizing will:

Answer: Develop activity avoidance, leading to deconditioning and prolonged disability

High catastrophizing leads to fear of movement (kinesiophobia), avoidance of activity, deconditioning, and a cycle of increasing pain and disability.