Question

Somatic pain is described as:

A. A dull, achy pain that is vague and difficult to localize
B. A sharp pain that travels along definite neural routes to the spinal column.
C. Pain that originates in a region other than where it is felt
D. Pain originating in the walls of hollow organs, in the capsules of solid organs, or in the visceral peritoneum

Answer 1

Somatic pain originates in the walls of hollow organs or capsules of solid organs, while referred pain is when visceral sensations are felt in unexpected places. This occurs when the sensory fibers of the organ and the somatosensory fibers enter the same level of the spinal cord.

Step-by-step explanation:

Somatic pain refers to pain that originates in the walls of hollow organs, in the capsules of solid organs, or in the visceral peritoneum. It is often described as a dull, achy pain that is vague and difficult to localize.

On the other hand, referred pain is when particularly strong visceral sensations are felt in unexpected places. For example, visceral sensations of the heart can be felt as pain in the left shoulder and left arm. This phenomenon occurs because the visceral sensory fibers enter into the same level of the spinal cord as the somatosensory fibers of the referred pain location, causing the brain to misinterpret the sensations.