Human Brain Does Not Feel Pain, But Why Do Headaches Hurt?

People of all ages experience headaches at some point. These headaches could be mild or major and may last for a couple of minutes or even days.

When one experiences headaches, the cranium may feel painful. Given this, you think that the brain itself is experiencing pain. However, this is not what happens.

Why Do Headaches Hurt?

According to Brain Facts, headaches start when unpleasant stimuli activate nociceptors. These are specialized sensory nerve fibers that sit on the muscles, skin, joints, and other organs. They relay signals of pain toward the brain, which then perceives these signals.

Nociceptors can be found in the dura and pia tissue, which serve as the protective layer between the skull and brain. In some instances, the chemicals released by blood vessels close to this layer may activate these receptors, which could lead to a headache.

Aside from this, headaches could surface due to an underlying health concern, such as low blood sugar, head trauma, or swollen sinuses. Live Science notes, however, that in a general sense, these headaches surface because of referred pain.

According to Dr. Charles Clarke, a headache specialist and neurologist from Vanderbilt Health, this means one feels pain taking place somewhere else. It is similar to the case of a herniated disk. The condition may cause pain in the leg.

For most headache cases, the underlying cause of pain in the nerves and muscles surrounding the brain can be traced back to somewhere else in the body. This could be the neck, shoulder, or jaw.

Tension headaches, for one, are the most common recurring types. They tend to occur when muscles at the forehead or the top of the head start getting painful. According to the National Institute of Health, this pain may be due to tightened muscles in the neck, scalp, or face. It could also be stress-related.

Migraines, on the other hand, are more intense and could last longer. They may be felt in various places or ways. It could be surface or deep pain at the head's left, right, back, or behind the eyes.

The causes of migraines have yet to be fully understood. Nevertheless, one theory suggests that headache is associated with the protective dura and the trigeminal nerve, the sensory nerve for the face and head.

Human Brain Has No Pain Receptors

The brain itself, on the other hand, does not have nociceptors. This means that it cannot feel pain; it just perceives the pain signals it receives.

The absence of such pain receptors may be why neurosurgeons can perform brain surgical procedures without making patients uncomfortable. In fact, in certain cases, brain surgery is conducted while the patient is fully awake.

Though the brain is incapable of feeling pain, its surroundings still can.

Check out more news and information on the Brain in Science Times.