This is the final episode of this series. I will try my best today to explain what happens under the skin and how you can manage(manipulate) it to serve your purpose or purposes.

I will probably here return to the under-skin receptors as this would make the picture clearer to everyone.

I have to add here that I only used the skin as a platform, but our sensory perception is much wider and more inclusive than just the skin perception. There is of course the inner-organ perception which is probably more advanced and complicated than the skin perception itself. That is an interesting area, and as we can control and modulate our skin perception, we may be able as well to control some of our internal body perceptions; though most of them are controlled by our autonomic nervous system which as well can be modified and may be controlled by our minds(will & power).

I will concentrate today on “pain control” as it is a very important part of our lives. Let me first talk about the different types of pain. I will probably start by putting them under three main categories (Three different types of pain):

1. Nociceptive pain: Nociceptive pain is the normal response to noxious (intense) stimulation. This type of pain can range from sharp, pricking, or shock-like to dull, aching, or burning depending on the responsible stimulus. This type of pain can be radicular(nerve rout irriations), somatic(muscle, bone, ligament, catilage etc.), and visceral(internal organ pains).
2. Neuropathic pain: This pain is originated in the nervous system; either central(brain or spinal cord), or peripheral(proximal= radicular or distal= nerve fibre).
3. Phantom pain: It is a perception that an individual experiences relating to a limb or an organ that is not physically part of the body, either because it was removed or was never there in the first place. However, phantom limb sensations can also occur following nerve avulsion or spinal cord injury.

That classification of pain is very important for us doctors when considering treatment. Nerve pain medications are not necessarily good for nociceptive pain, and the nociceptive pain medications are not necessarily helpful in nerve pain. Hence, I would suggest here to every person who is in the position of treating pains to know the type and source of pain before prescribing medications.

Let me now return to the “gate theory” for pain control, as navigation through the world of pains is too much and so enormous, and can be too much for me to navigate through without me falling victim to it !!.

The pain gate control theory states that “gates” allow certain stimuli to pass through neural pathways to your brain. Non-noxious stimuli, the ones that don’t make you feel pain, pass through the “pain gate” and then help close the gate so painful stimuli cannot reach your brain. Therefore, you may be able to decrease or eliminate pain that you are feeling by allowing only “safe” and non-noxious stimuli through the gate to your brain.

In principle, you can be in a position to control some of your aches and pains if you just know how. You have got powers in your mind and will those can enable you to be in control of many of your body functions, and you just need to know what, how, and when to use those powers.

before I end up with the practical uses of the “gate theory” let me mention here some important circumstances when you may fail to use your given powers, or you may “create” aches and pains to yourself because of some “psychological” changes inside your thinking:

• Your previous experiences.
• Your expectations and beliefs about pain.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Your current environment and surroundings.
• Your type of personality and your reaction to your surroundings.
• Your culture, believes and the level of education.

USES OF THE “GATE THEORY”

We know from the history that the “Chinese” have used the gate theory around 6000 years ago as part of their “traditional medicine” in the form of “acupuncture” without obviously knowing anything about the “gate theory”. It was in the form of “trials & errors”. The “gate theory” was first proposed in 1965 by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall. The theory offers a physiological explanation for the previously observed effect of psychology on pain perception.

The gate control theory of pain describes how non-painful sensations can override and reduce painful sensations. That way of pain modulation can be achieved these days through many practical ways:

• Acupuncture.
• Massage.
• Chiropractic.
• Hydrotherapy.
• Trigger point therapy.
• Myofascial release.
• Hypnotherapy.
• Yoga.
• Meditations.

HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR “GATE THEORY”?

My sincere message to you is very simple: Tickle your C-fibres and feel the pampers !!.

Always remember when you pass your hand gently over your cat’s chest, head or frontal legs, the cat will very quickly start to purring or rolling around, and that will create a feeling of closeness between you and your beloved kitten. In addition, tickling can also be a great way to get your cat to exercise !!. We all learn from “nature”, and what we learn from nature is always helpful. Tickle your baby, and the baby will start smiling, giggling and feels so happy. Tickling the baby will enhance baby’s learning to talk.

Gentle tickling is in reality stimulating the C-fibres. Tickling your C-fibres will make them feel happy; and when they feel happy, they discharge very low electrical impulses enough to “re-channel” the pain stimulus away from its course towards the sensory gyrus in your brain to your A-fibres at their entry to the spinal cord and that will convince them to de-charge and that stops you feeling the pain !!.

Always remember that your pains can be very much localised, or can be in different parts of your body. They can be felt outside in your skin, muscle, joint, or ligaments. Your pains can be very deep inside your body, or even sometimes they can be very difficult to localise. You are the one who will decide the nature, magnitude, and character of your pains. No one can measure your pains, feel them, or even be able to share with you your suffering in silence. Your doctor will listen to your suffering of pain, but can not see it, measure it, or even investigate it. You could however very easily be labelled as “hypochondriac”, faking it, or “it is all in your mind !!”. You could be diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or you could be labelled very unfairly with the diagnosis of “fibromyalgia”. You could feel alone, and you may become lonely, isolated and depressed in their eyes. Always remember, your best friend is your C-fibres. Tickle them when you need help !!.

HOW CAN YOU TICLE YOUR C-FIBRES?!

It is an art you need to learn !. Anyone anywhere in the world can tickle their C-fibres and get them ready to help. They will offer you a great service with no charges at all. You don’t need to go to hospital, or even to see your doctor to do that. Just rely on your best and closest C-fibre friends to control your pain symptoms for you, and at any time of the day or night !!.

• Gentle touch.
• Soft massage.
• Tickly tickling.
• Measured stretching.
• Calming and relaxing.
• Taking deep breath and shortly holding it, then repeat.
• Listening to your “ticklish” music.
• Performing some sort of yoga or meditations.
• Always remember the “swimming pool”. You don’t need to swim, but just let the water deep waves gently collide with your skin and tickle your C-fibres.
• Talk to your body to produce your internal(endogenous) natural pain killers, and they are plenty.
• Never panic, and never hate yourself.
• Always remember that you have gotten un-measured and un-calculated hidden powers in your body. You only need to learn the way on how to ignite them. Be happy, and live “pain free” enjoyable life as I do !!.