What does hyperalgesia mean?
Hyperalgesia is an abnormal increase in sensitivity to pain. A person or area affected by hyperalgesia may respond to a painful stimulus much more intensely than expected, and even minor contact can become painful. The term is used mainly in medicine, neuroscience, pain research, and clinical diagnosis, and it may be associated with nerve damage, inflammation, chronic pain, or sensitization of the nervous system. Hyperalgesia is distinct from allodynia: hyperalgesia concerns an excessive response to something already painful, while allodynia describes pain triggered by something that would not ordinarily hurt. The related adjective is hyperalgesic, and the condition is often discussed alongside pain thresholds, sensory testing, and the treatment of persistent pain.
nounAn abnormally heightened sensitivity to pain, in which painful stimuli produce an exaggerated or disproportionately intense response. It may occur as a symptom of nerve injury, inflammation, or other medical conditions.
- Abnormally heightened sensitivity to pain or an exaggerated response to painful stimulation.
"The clinician found signs of hyperalgesia around the area of the healed injury."
"Her chronic pain was accompanied by marked hyperalgesia around the affected joints."
"The research team used quantitative sensory testing to measure hyperalgesia in the participants."
Plural is used when referring to separate cases or recorded instances of hyperalgesia.
"The study compared several types of hyperalgesias across different patient groups."
Hyperalgesia is when the nervous system turns ordinary pain into an alarmingly amplified signal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hyperalgesia come from?
The word combines the Greek prefix hyper-, meaning “over” or “excessive,” with algēsis, meaning “sensation of pain.” Together, these elements convey heightened sensitivity to pain. Its relatives include analgesia, meaning absence of pain, and algesia, a broader term for sensitivity to pain.
Related word forms
How hyperalgesia is actually used
This is primarily a medical and clinical term. It should not be confused with allodynia, which involves pain from normally non-painful stimuli. The related adjective is hyperalgesic.
Easily confused with hyperalgesia
Hyperalgesia is an exaggerated response to a normally painful stimulus, whereas allodynia is pain caused by a stimulus that would not normally be painful, such as light touch.