algesia
Algesia is the sensory perception of pain or heightened sensitivity to painful stimuli. The term derives from Greek algos meaning pain and gesia meaning sensation. In medical usage, algesia refers to the functional state of nociception and pain processing, and is distinct from analgesia, which denotes the reduction or absence of pain, and from algia, a less precise term sometimes used to denote pain itself.
Nociception is the neural encoding of noxious stimuli by specialized receptors called nociceptors. Peripheral fibers include
Clinically relevant terms related to algesia include hyperalgesia (increased pain from a painful stimulus), hypoalgesia (decreased