Lo scenario del dolore - Dalle novità fisiopatologiche generali alla gestione personalizzata

The nervous system encodes different forms of pain, from those arising from interactions with thermal, chemical or mechanical sources to those induced from trauma and disease. In this article the biologic mechanisms of pain are presented and the biological bases of the complex interplay between pain and emotions are briefly explored. The complex mechanisms and connections are far from being fully elucidated and most research is based on animal models, insufficient to explain the complex mind-body-environment interactions. This area of research should be adopted by nurses and explored combining qualitative and quantitative methods.