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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Refresh Courses Anesthesiol. 2015;43(1):15–26. doi: 10.1097/ASA.0000000000000033

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Normal perception: Panel A shows the normal pain pathways; the peripheral primary nociceptor transmits a pain signal to the secondary neuron in the spinal dorsal horn. From there, the pain is transmitted to the brain. Central sensitization: In Panel B, the intense barrage of pain signals from a surgical incision leads to permanent signal amplification in the spinal horn. This is the pathophysiological basis for hyperalgesia and persistent pain after surgery. Prevention of chronic pain: In Panel C, regional anesthesia prevents the development of chronic pain after surgery by blocking the pain signal. No central sensitization occurs.