The Pain System in Oesophageal Disorders: Mechanisms, Clinical Characteristics, and Treatment

Figure 2

The afferent nerve supply of the gut. “True” visceral afferents (white lines) innervate the gut and run temporarily together with either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nerves. During inflammation “silent afferents” (dashed line) may become activated. Gastrointestinal (GI) afferents primarily project to the spinal cord or brain stem but can also “crosstalk” with the autonomic (grey line) or enteric nervous system (ENS) through local or spinal reflexes.