Valuläve

Valuläve is the Estonian term for the pain threshold, defined as the minimum intensity of a stimulus that is perceived as painful. In health sciences, it is used to quantify sensory function and to compare pain sensitivity across individuals, populations, or experimental conditions. The pain threshold is distinct from pain tolerance, which describes the maximum stimulus a person is willing or able to endure.

Measurement is typically performed with quantitative sensory testing (QST). Common paradigms include thermal testing (applying controlled heat or cold to determine heat pain threshold and cold pain threshold), mechanical testing (pinprick or pressure algometry to determine mechanical pain threshold), and electrical testing (incremental current to determine electrical pain threshold). Thresholds are expressed in the corresponding stimulus units, such as degrees Celsius for thermal, newtons or grams for mechanical, or milliamperes for electrical, at which pain is first perceived or becomes intolerable, depending on the protocol.

A number of factors influence valuläve: age, sex, genetic differences, hormonal status, circadian rhythms, attention, mood, prior pain exposure, and skin condition. Pathologies such as neuropathic pain or inflammatory disorders can lower thresholds (hyperalgesia) or alter sensory processing in other ways. Pharmacological agents, including analgesics or anesthetics, also modify measured thresholds.

Applications include clinical assessment of nerve function, evaluation of pain mechanisms, and monitoring response to analgesic therapy or intervention studies. Differences in culture and methodology mean normative thresholds vary by population and protocol, highlighting the importance of standardized measurement for comparability.