Analgesic Pathway | Endogenous Opioid System

The body has its own pain relief system that gets activated when experiencing pain.
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As a painful stimulus ascends to the cerebral cortex (to become consciously aware of the pain) it sends signals to multiple other areas of the brain. This includes:
Amygdala (emotion)
Hypothalamus (flight/fight response)
Reticular formation (arousal and consciousness)
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1️⃣All of these regions, including the cortex, will send a signal to the
2️⃣Magnus Raphe Nucleus (located at the midline of the medulla) and will
3️⃣Send a serotonergic signal to the spinal cord
4️⃣Stimulate a neuron in the spinal cord that releases Enkaphalin (opioid)
5️⃣Enkephalin will bind to opioid receptors (delta opioid receptors) of both the pre- and post- synaptic pain neuron.
6️⃣Stopping the pain signal!!

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