Can you feel that??

Congenital Analgesia or Congenital Insensitivity to Pain

Congenital Analgesia is a rare condition where a person cannot feel and has never felt physical pain which originates from the time of birth.  For those with this disorder, cognition and sensation are normal which means they can still feel discriminative touch (not always temperature) with no physical abnormalities.  This condition could result in the individual unintentionally harming him or herself, or in an injury being made worse by the individual not realizing its severity due to the inability to detect such an injury.  There have only been about 100 cases reported since 1932 when the first case appeared of a man who acted as a human pin cushion.  The exact cause of the condition is unknown.  Some cases, the cause is due to an increased production of endorphins in the brain whereas in other cases, the cause is due to a mutation in the sodium channels or integral membrane proteins in the brain although the nerves appear to be normal and functioning properly in the majority of cases.  The condition is believed to be hereditary since the frequency of passing the disorder onto an offspring is more often seen.  There are two types of congenital pain indifference: (1) Insensitivity to pain - is no perception of pain at all, (2) Indifference to pain – can perceive stimulus but lacks an appropriate response.  Treatment of a disorder involves developing an awareness of the condition and learning to regularly monitor oneself for injury.  Close monitoring is required especially during childhood to reduce the risk of accidental self-injury. 

A Life Without Pain