Question

The pain from the central part of the diaphragm is referred to the lower tip of the shoulder. Why is this?

a) Phrenic nerve innervation
b) Vagus nerve irritation
c) Referred pain along sympathetic pathways
d) Connection to the brachial plexu

Answer 1

Referred pain occurs when visceral sensations are felt in unexpected places. The pain from the central part of the diaphragm is referred to the lower tip of the shoulder due to the misinterpretation of sensory signals by the brain.

Step-by-step explanation:

Referred pain occurs when visceral sensations are felt in unexpected places due to the misinterpretation of sensory signals by the brain. In the case of pain from the central part of the diaphragm, it is referred to the lower tip of the shoulder. This phenomenon is caused by the entrance of visceral sensory fibers from the diaphragm into the spinal cord at the same level as the somatosensory fibers from the neck and shoulder. Consequently, the brain misinterprets the sensations from the diaphragm as sensations from the shoulder, resulting in pain felt in the lower tip of the shoulder.