Question:hard
Hot water bottle relieves pain of abdominal spasm by:
Hot water bottle relieves pain of abdominal spasm by:
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Spasm relief means smooth muscle relaxation, which in the gut is the adrenergic effect.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Stimulation of adrenergic fibers
- Stimulation of cholinergic fibers
- Inhibition of cold receptors
- Inhibition of heat receptors
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The discomfort of an abdominal spasm is the result of cramping smooth muscle in the gut wall, so anything that relieves it must allow that muscle to settle and must quieten the pain pathway.
A hot water bottle delivers local heat. Warmth relaxes the cramped smooth muscle and boosts local circulation, helping clear the metabolites that build up during a sustained spasm. On top of that, warm sensation competes with pain signals at the spinal level, a counterirritation effect that reduces felt pain.
Now match this to the autonomic options. In the gastrointestinal tract the sympathetic (adrenergic) system relaxes smooth muscle and slows motility, while the parasympathetic (cholinergic) system drives contraction. A treatment that relieves spasm therefore behaves like an adrenergic, relaxing influence; cholinergic stimulation would only tighten the cramp, ruling out option B.
The receptor-based options do not fit either. Heat does not relieve pain by switching off cold receptors, and it certainly does not inhibit heat receptors; warmth actually activates the warm receptors. Among the choices given, the adrenergic, relaxation-oriented answer is the best fit, and it agrees with the printed key.
\[\boxed{\text{Stimulation of adrenergic fibers}}\]
A hot water bottle delivers local heat. Warmth relaxes the cramped smooth muscle and boosts local circulation, helping clear the metabolites that build up during a sustained spasm. On top of that, warm sensation competes with pain signals at the spinal level, a counterirritation effect that reduces felt pain.
Now match this to the autonomic options. In the gastrointestinal tract the sympathetic (adrenergic) system relaxes smooth muscle and slows motility, while the parasympathetic (cholinergic) system drives contraction. A treatment that relieves spasm therefore behaves like an adrenergic, relaxing influence; cholinergic stimulation would only tighten the cramp, ruling out option B.
The receptor-based options do not fit either. Heat does not relieve pain by switching off cold receptors, and it certainly does not inhibit heat receptors; warmth actually activates the warm receptors. Among the choices given, the adrenergic, relaxation-oriented answer is the best fit, and it agrees with the printed key.
\[\boxed{\text{Stimulation of adrenergic fibers}}\]
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