Have you ever wondered why people often feel pain in their left arm during a heart attack, even though the heart is in the chest? Let’s explore this fascinating topic!
When you get hurt, like when you cut your finger or touch something hot, special sensors in your skin called pain receptors send a signal to your brain. This signal travels through a chain of three nerve cells. The first nerve cell sends the signal to your spinal cord, entering through one of your vertebrae. Then, it connects to a second nerve cell that carries the signal up to the thalamus in your brain. Finally, a third nerve cell takes the signal to a specific area in your brain called the sensory cortex, where you actually feel the pain.
Your brain’s sensory cortex has different areas for feeling different parts of your body, like your hands and feet. The more sensitive the body part, the larger the area in the sensory cortex. However, the sensory cortex doesn’t have much space for pain from internal organs, like the heart.
Even though organs can send pain signals, these signals often mix with those from other body parts. For example, when your heart is in trouble, the pain signals might merge with those from your arm. This is why, during a heart attack, you might feel pain in your left arm. It’s like the brain gets confused and thinks the pain is coming from the arm instead of the heart.
Scientists are still trying to figure out why some people feel heart pain in their arm, while others might feel it in their jaw. The pain is real, but the brain doesn’t always pinpoint its exact source. This mixing of signals isn’t just limited to heart pain. For instance, pain from the liver might be felt in the neck, and kidney pain might be felt in the thighs. This is because nerve pathways from organs and skin often converge, leading to what we call “referred pain.”
Referred pain is a natural part of how our nerves are wired, and there’s still a lot to learn about how the brain interprets pain from organs. As scientists continue to study this, we’ll gain a better understanding of how pain signals are processed in the brain.
So, next time you hear about someone experiencing arm pain during a heart attack, you’ll know it’s all about how our nerves and brain work together in mysterious ways!
Using craft materials like string, paper, and markers, create a model that shows how pain signals travel from the body to the brain. Label each part of the pathway, including the pain receptors, spinal cord, thalamus, and sensory cortex. This will help you visualize the journey of pain signals and understand the concept better.
Draw a diagram of the brain’s sensory cortex and label the areas associated with different body parts. Use different colors to indicate the size of each area based on sensitivity. This activity will help you understand how the brain allocates space for different sensations and why internal organ pain is often referred.
In small groups, create and act out short skits that demonstrate referred pain. For example, one person can pretend to have a heart attack, and another can describe the arm pain they feel. This will help you grasp the concept of referred pain and how it manifests in real-life situations.
Choose a type of referred pain, such as heart pain felt in the arm or liver pain felt in the neck. Research why this happens and present your findings to the class. This will deepen your understanding of referred pain and how nerve pathways contribute to this phenomenon.
Prepare a set of questions about referred pain and interview a healthcare professional, such as a nurse or doctor. Ask them about their experiences with patients who have experienced referred pain. Share your insights with the class to learn from real-world examples.
When someone experiences a heart attack, they often clutch their left arm in pain. However, the heart is located in the chest, so what’s happening?
I’m Cameron, and this is MinuteEarth. When we feel pain, it’s typically because pain receptors in the skin detect an issue, such as a cut or a burn. In response, these receptors generate a pain signal that travels to the brain through a series of three nerve cells. The first cell generates the signal and carries it to the spinal column, where it enters through one of the vertebrae. There, it connects with a second neuron that carries the signal upward toward the thalamus in the brain, linking with a third neuron that stimulates a specific region in the brain’s sensory cortex. At this point, the brain creates the sensation of pain.
The sensory cortex has designated areas for feeling most parts of the body, like the hands and feet, with larger areas devoted to the most sensitive regions. However, little or none of the sensory cortex is dedicated to pain from internal organs. This doesn’t mean that organs can’t send pain signals. When pain signals from an injured organ reach the spinal cord, they often merge with pain pathways from other, more sensitive body parts. Specifically, pain from a distressed heart often gets funneled onto nerve pathways in the spinal cord that carry sensations from the arm, which in turn activates the part of the brain that senses arm pain. This is why individuals often feel intense pain in their left arm during a heart attack.
Interestingly, scientists don’t fully understand why some brains interpret heart pain as coming from the arm while others interpret it as coming from the jaw. The pain is real, but the brain doesn’t have a precise way of determining its origin. This merging of signals doesn’t only occur with heart pain; for example, pain signals from the liver may merge onto pathways that lead to the neck, and pain from the kidneys can merge onto pathways from the thighs. Often, pain from internal organs is felt in nearby skin and muscles due to the way nerve pathways converge.
This phenomenon is known as referred pain, and it appears to be an unavoidable aspect of how nerves are wired. There is still much to learn about how the brain interprets organ pain, but as scientists continue to study this, we will improve our understanding of how pain signals are processed.
Pain – An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. – When you touch a hot stove, the pain you feel is a warning signal from your body to prevent injury.
Brain – The organ in the head that controls thoughts, memory, emotions, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, and every process that regulates our body. – The brain is responsible for processing information received from the senses and sending signals to the rest of the body.
Signals – Electrical impulses that carry information between neurons in the nervous system. – Neurons in the brain send signals to each other to process information and coordinate actions.
Heart – A muscular organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. – The heart beats faster during exercise to supply more oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.
Arm – The limb of the human body extending from the shoulder to the hand, used for manipulation and interaction with the environment. – The arm contains muscles and bones that allow it to move and lift objects.
Receptors – Specialized cells or proteins that detect and respond to specific stimuli in the environment. – Pain receptors in the skin alert the brain to potential harm when you touch something sharp.
Cortex – The outer layer of the brain, involved in complex functions like perception, thought, and decision-making. – The cerebral cortex is responsible for processing sensory information and is crucial for higher brain functions.
Organs – Structures composed of different tissues that perform specific functions necessary for the body’s survival. – The heart and lungs are vital organs that work together to circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – Scientific research has led to many discoveries about how the brain functions and how to treat mental illnesses.
Phenomenon – An observable event or occurrence that can be studied scientifically. – The phenomenon of bioluminescence in deep-sea creatures is a fascinating subject for marine biologists.
