ABSTRACT
Acute pain serves as a warning system of potential or actual injury. It allows a person to sense when the body is physically threatened and to modify behavior to avoid further tissue damage. This evolutionary advantage is clear when one compares people who have impaired pain sensation with normal individuals. Those with congenital abnormalities, such as a lack of C nociceptive fibers, or acquired conditions such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy sustain more traumatic injuries.
