Question

The term referred pain specifically refers to which of the following?

a. Pain that arises from activity in the cranial nerves
b. Pain that has no medically identifiable causes and which is therefore attributed to psychological factors
c. Pain that originates in the viscera, but which seems to come from the skin
d. Pain that triggers emotional and behavioral responses

Answer 1

Referred pain is when pain originating from internal organs is perceived on the body surface, such as heart pain felt in the left arm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term referred pain specifically refers to c. Pain that originates in the viscera, but which seems to come from the skin. This type of pain occurs when visceral sensations from internal organs are perceived at different locations on the body's surface.

The most accepted theory for this phenomenon is that the visceral sensory fibers enter the same level of the spinal cord as the somatosensory fibers of the referred pain location, causing the brain to misinterpret the origin of the pain. For example, visceral sensations related to the heart can be felt as pain in the left shoulder and arm, which is a classic sign of a heart attack.