Keywords
Chronic Pain
Acute Pain
Peripheral Neuropathies
Nociceptors
How to Cite
Abstract
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, according to the seminal definition of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). More than a simple symptom, pain represents a major challenge for public health, with estimates indicating that its chronic condition affects approximately 20% of the global adult population, resulting in high socioeconomic costs and a significant disability burden. Its presence goes beyond mere symptoms, constituting a complex and multifaceted clinical entity with profound implications for quality of life, individual psychosocial functioning, and the burden on healthcare systems. The pathophysiology of pain involves an intricate network of peripheral and central mechanisms, including peripheral and central sensitization processes, descending modulation, and psychoneuroimmunological influences, which vary according to type and chronicity. The aim was to systematize and analyze the scientific evidence available in PubMed on the main types of pain, focusing on their classification based on pathophysiological mechanisms, duration, and clinical characteristics.
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