It "pains" me to understand this theory...
The specificity theory of pain originated in the 1600s, with a limited understanding of how the mind and body worked together, and it suggested that psychological factors did not play in role in the manner in which the mind and body communicated pain (Brannon & Feist, 2004). Practitioners of the specificity theory believed that any type of pain should be resolved by surgery or medicine as they felt there was a direct relationship between the intensity of the pain and the amount of the body that was injured (Dannenbaum, 2006). Descartes believed that there were nerves or “cords” that were extended from the part of the body that was experiencing pain directly to the brain and that was how pain was signaled (Duncan, 2000). Therefore, patients who suffered from chronic pain did not find relief in the treatment provided by the specificity theory of pain and often were left feeling frustrated, humiliated, and hopeless (Sieppert, 1996).
In 1965 Melzack and Wall developed the gate control theory which explained that pain is not driven from point A to point B; rather there are gates (central control triggers) which control the flow of information about the intensity, severity, and the perception of the pain (Brannon & Feist, 2004). The gate control theory proposes that messages from receptors travel along nerve fibers to the spinal cord, they then come to “gates” that are either opened to transmit pain messages or closed to suppress pain messages (Kodish, 2001). This theory is more popular with those who practice the biopsychosocial model of medicine in that it incorporates not only the biological occurrence of injury but also the psychological and social implications of the severity of the pain (Brannon & Fiest, 2004; Sieppert, 1996).
I have a painful desire to read more:
Dannenbaum, S. E. (2006). The evolving theory of pain management. Details.
Duncan, G. (2000). Mind-body dualism and the biopsychosocial model of pain: What did descartes really say? Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 25(4), 485-513.
Kodish, B. I. (2001). The pain in sprain . ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, 58(2), 138.
Sieppert, J. D. (1996). attitudes toward and knowledge of chronic pain: A survey of medical social workers. Health and Social Work, 21(2), 122+.
Dr. Lisa Samuel
Reader Comments (2)
Hi. I liked your description of the gate control theory. I'm sorry to be pedantic, but footnote 10 of my article (which you cite) gives a more detailed view. It reads: "In fact Melzack and Wall (1965) seriously misinterpret Descartes’ theory of the mechanisms of pain perception. They associate him with ‘specificity theory’, the notion that pain is subserved by specific peripheral pain receptors. In fact, Descartes comes closer to what Melzack and Wall describe as ‘pattern theory’: that pain arises from the same peripheral nerve receptors on the skin as other sensations, but is caused by a different pattern of stimulation. Different kinds of stimulation to the same nerve endings are said to cause different sensations. When the actions which move the nerves become too strong, according to Descartes, we experience pain (1985, p. 103). "
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