Because the "gate" can also be influenced by descending signals from the brain, your mental state matters. Distraction:
Understanding the Pain Gate: Why Modern TENS Units Provide Effective Relief pain gate ddsc 018 better
Proposed by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1965, this theory suggests that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that either blocks or allows pain signals to reach the brain. Because the "gate" can also be influenced by