# Pain wind-up

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Perception of pain

**Pain wind-up** is the increase in [pain](/source/Pain) intensity over time when a given stimulus is delivered repeatedly above a critical rate. It is caused by repeated stimulation of [group C peripheral nerve fibers](/source/Group_C_nerve_fiber), leading to progressively increasing electrical response in the corresponding spinal cord ([posterior horn](/source/Posterior_horn_of_spinal_cord)) neurons due to priming of the [NMDA](/source/NMDA) receptor based response.[1][2] It describes an exponentially progressive increase in firing of [wide dynamic range neuron](/source/Wide_dynamic_range_neuron) with repeated stimulation.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-XuLu2011_1-0)** Feng Xu; Tianjian Lu (29 May 2011). [*Introduction to Skin Biothermomechanics and Thermal Pain*](https://books.google.com/books?id=fMggKzt8ofoC&pg=PA347). Springer. p. 347. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-642-13201-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-642-13201-8). Retrieved 25 April 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pitcher_and_Henry_2-0)** Pitcher and Henry (2000). *Eur. J. Neurosci.*, 12:2006–2020.

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