The common post surgical pain encountered over chest is post-thoracotomy pain. This happens because of injury or division of nerve root in corresponding chest wall. Sometimes the nerve gets entrapped in the surgical scar and creates a nagging problem. Whenever the nerve is damaged, sprouting of the injured nerve occurs. This leads to neuroma (knot) formation and resistant scar pain. These neruromas develop a capacity to spontaneously fire the impulses. These impulses reach the spinal cord, which gets hyperexcited and leads to central sensitisation. |
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