Marijtje Jongsma (51), neuroscientist and associate professor at Radboud University Nijmegen, answers this question.
Marijtje Jongsma:“There is a difference between nociception – the ability to perceive a harmful stimulus – and pain:an emotion that arises in the brain. Suppose I put a skewer on your arm. You feel that. At some point, when I push through, the oppressive feeling turns into nociception. That's a different sensation, involving other nerves. We call this turning point, from feeling to nociception, the pain threshold. The example with the skewer is clear, because there is an external threatening stimulus. But in most cases, pain is not caused by such an obvious external stimulus. Think of abdominal pain, migraine or pain after surgery. These forms of pain are more difficult to measure and describe, because it concerns an actual experience of pain.”
“How quickly you reach the pain threshold is partly determined by your physical character. If a noxious stimulus comes close to your nerves, you experience pain more quickly. Increased sensitivity can also occur due to certain diseases or other injuries. With burns we often see that the surrounding area is also more sensitive to pain. The thickness of the skin can play a role, but so can the way we interpret and process pain in the brain. Because pain is such a subjective experience, you cannot say:you are pretending. It's very personal. If someone says they're in pain, it's true. Unfortunately, we often don't act on that. For example, pain empathy is usually easier to apply in the case of visible damage, such as a broken leg. In the case of invisible pain, we find someone more likely to be an influencer.”
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“Whether you can push the pain threshold? Yes, but the question is, why would you want to? Pain warns us of danger. You can temporarily reduce pain by dampening it with a new pain stimulus. When you fall, you often rub the painful area. Giving extra input activates the endogenous opioid system in the brain. This system produces endorphins, the body's own painkiller. Distraction and relaxation also help. By relaxing you prevent muscle defense, a protective mechanism that causes your muscles to cramp and eventually cause more pain. Stress analgesia is sometimes involved in important sports competitions or serious war wounds. At such a moment you are alert and you feel little to no pain. A fight or flight response can temporarily block the pain system. Only when you are in safety can your brain process the pain information. In addition, a healthy lifestyle also has a positive influence on your pain threshold.”
Image:Gettyimages, text:Maike Abma
