Nociceptors are the specific nerves that transmit throbbing indicators to the head and the spinal cord. They work through their focused nerves that are activated by chemical processes that happen in the body. Nociceptive pain occurs in four stages, namely “transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation” (Wade, 2002, p. 31). In the first phase known as transduction, a stimulus is activated through tissue injury of damaged cells, which release substances that generate an action potential in the cell tissues. The action potential generated in the cells then leads to the second stage called transmission, which transports electric signals from the cells to the spinal cord and into the brain. The third phase of perception happens in the brain, which makes the body aware of the pain. The fourth stage known as modulation takes place when the brain releases substances that are meant to inhibit nociceptive stimuli, thus reducing the transmission of painful stimuli (Wade, 2002, p. 31). The four stages of pain simply illustrate the different activities that happen when pain is inflicted on a body by showing its transmission from the point of infliction to the brain and back. The brain is mandated with providing a solution to the pain. When its inhibition mechanism fails, the victim takes in painkillers to support the efforts of the brain.
Reference
Wade, J. (2002). Attention and the Stages of Pain Processing. Pain Med, 3(1), 30-38.