MSTN121 Assessment 2: Neuroplasticity and Neuropathic Pain Blog

This blog post, written for a client audience with limited knowledge of medical terminology, explores the relationship between neuroplasticity and neuropathic pain. The post defines neuroplasticity as the brain's ability to adapt and change, and explains how neuropathic pain arises from damage to the somatosensory nerves, leading to symptoms like hyperalgesia, allodynia, and spontaneous pain. The author discusses how chronic pain is linked to brain circuits and neuroplastic changes, particularly in the context of lower back pain. The blog post also highlights the importance of consulting a doctor for such pain and the role of neuroplasticity in pain perception. The post also references the involvement of mast cells, microglia, and astrocytes in neuroinflammation and associated pain. The author emphasizes the need for classifying the intensity of the disease to provide effective treatment. The assignment fulfills the requirements of a blog post for the MSTN121 Neurophysiology assessment at Endeavour College.

Running Head: NEUROPLASTICITY
NEUROPLASTICITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Role of Neuropathic Pain in Health and Disease
Neuroplasticity is otherwise known as the brain plasticity that is linked to the various functions of the brain like learning, memorizing
and so on. It is generally seen that the neuropathic pain is caused due to the damage or destruction of the somatosensory nerves (Cohen & Mao,
2014; Lundy-Ekman, L. 2013). Research has shown that the continuous suffering due to pain is dependent on the circuit of the brain that is
generally related to neuroplasticity. There are certain changes that occur within the brain in relation to the neuropathic pain. The most common
symptoms of the pain are seen as the hyperalgesia, allodynia, and spontaneous pain (Mansour et al., 2014). It is thus seen that the change in the
plasticity of the nervous system is often related to the disruption of functioning that results in the diseased state.

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It is generally caused by the changes in the peripheral and the central nervous system (Nijs et al., 2015). It often causes the destruction of
the sensory pathways that are related to the plasticity of the nervous system and causes the neuropathic pain. Pain in the lower back is a type of
heterogeneous disorder that is seen in the patients with dominant neuropathic pain for example, destruction of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG).
This causes the release of the histamine that causes the neuropathic pain. When the stimuli is strong then large amount of signaling molecules are
released from the spinal end of the nerve fibers that leads to the triggering and activation of the microglia and the astrocytes (Pergolizzi Jr, Raffa
& Taylor, 2014). It is often related to the degranulation of the mast cells that causes the neuroinflammation and the associated pain. The
increased amount of pain causes a change in the brain neurons and thus, neuroplasticity is associated with the various responses that are
generated at the time of release of the number of strong or weak stimulus (Cohen & Mao, 2014).

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The target audience for the neuropathic lower back pain are the older adults. This pain can be classified as the radicular pain as it irritates
the nerve roots that causes the pain. In order to treat the neuropathic pain it is important to know and classify the intensity of the disease along
with the involvement of the structure in the pain (Mansour et al., 2014). This will help in the analysis of the disease condition and thus,
whenever such a pain occurs the patient should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Neuroplasticity is often related to the nociceptive pain as the
perception of the pain is often related to the brain that act as a dynamical state. (Pergolizzi Jr, Raffa & Taylor, 2014; Butler, D. S. 2000).

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Thus, it can be summarized that the nociceptive pain can be considered as a part of the neuroplasticity as it can be related to the extent up
to which the perception of pain inside the brain. Hence neuropathic pain and neuroplasticity are interrelated. It can be linked to the association of
the various connections inside the brain that perceive or are triggered at the time whenever there is a scope of pain. Here, it has been suggested
that the patient should consult a doctor in the time of the lower back pain.

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References
Butler, D. S. (2000). The sensitive nervous system. Noigroup publications.
Cohen, S. P., & Mao, J. (2014). Neuropathic pain: mechanisms and their clinical implications. Bmj, 348, f7656.
Lundy-Ekman, L. (2013). Neuroscience-E-Book: Fundamentals for Rehabilitation. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Mansour, A. R., Farmer, M. A., Baliki, M. N., & Apkarian, A. V. (2014). Chronic pain: the role of learning and brain plasticity. Restorative
neurology and neuroscience, 32(1), 129–139. doi:10.3233/RNN-139003
Nijs, J., Meeus, M., Versijpt, J., Moens, M., Bos, I., Knaepen, K., & Meeusen, R. (2015). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a driving force
behind neuroplasticity in neuropathic and central sensitization pain: a new therapeutic target?. Expert opinion on therapeutic
targets, 19(4), 565-576.
Pergolizzi Jr, J. V., Raffa, R. B., & Taylor Jr, R. (2014). Treating acute pain in light of the chronification of pain. Pain Management
Nursing, 15(1), 380-390.