this communication pathway gets messed up, it can lead to chronic pain conditions, including neuropathic pain.
One key player in sending pain signals up the spinal cord is a chemical messenger called glutamate. Glutamate activates specific receivers on nerve cells called NMDA receptors. When these are activated, the signal travels to certain parts of the brain that process pain. This is like turning up the volume on pain signals – it’s called pronociception.
On the flip side, other parts of the brain send signals down the spinal cord to turn the
