After you roughly bump part of your body-say your shin or your "funny bone"-into something and experience pain as a result,you may help to decrease that sense of pain by rubbing the injured area.The _______ theory provides some insight as to why rubbing the area helps to lower the pain that you feel.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gate theory of pain suggests that there is a "gate" in the spinal cord that can either open to allow pain signals to be transmitted to the brain or close to block those signals. Rubbing the injured area may cause stimulation of other sensory nerves that can activate these gating mechanisms and block the pain signals, hence decreasing the sense of pain. The other options (auxiliary theory, obstruction theory, and buffer theory) do not pertain to this specific phenomenon.

After You Roughly Bump Part of Your Body-Say Your Shin