A theory proposing that pain signals must pass through a neural 'gate' in the spinal cord that can be opened or closed by various factors, including non-painful input and psychological state.
From 'gate' + 'control' + 'theory.' Proposed by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1965.
Gate control theory explains why rubbing a bumped shin helps — non-pain signals close the 'gate' in your spinal cord, blocking pain messages from reaching your brain!
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