# Do we have sensory neurons inside our heart? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325 "2017-03-03T19:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/1 "2017-03-03T19:30:24Z")
A friend had cardiac ablation a few days ago and it took them quite a while to complete it. They worked on him for about 6 hours. Today he mentioned that his chest is sore, and I’m wondering why that is. Do we have sensory neurons on the inner surface of our heart? What part of his body is responding to the procedure? **Qadqop**? Beuhler? Beuhler? ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/2 "2017-03-03T19:36:54Z")
The heart has both baroreceptors (pressure) and chemoreceptors (chemicals) which can produce “pain” As Cardiac ablation destroys tissue containing these nerves that cause an abnormal heart rhythm I would assume that they would cause pain. I am sure that a more educated poster will come along soon. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/3 "2017-03-03T19:37:35Z")
When I had angioplasty, my doctor said he would only anesthetize the insertion place in my thigh,because there are no sensory neurons in the heart. Apparently there aren’t any in the major arteries, either. So when you are captured by savages and they eat your heart before your very eyes, it won’t hurt a bit. I’m not sure about the part where they wind your intestines around a tree, my cardiologist didn’t mention that. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/4 "2017-03-03T20:03:12Z")
So there _are_ pain receptors? ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/5 "2017-03-03T20:22:37Z")
Cardiac pain is not entirely understood, and seems to involve the sympathetic nervous system conveying pain information to the brain in a different way than, say, peripheral nerves transmitting the pain of a burn on the hand. See [this article in _Circulation_ about cardiac pain.](http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/114/22/2309) Note this quote: “the presence of specific nociceptors has not been unambiguously demonstrated in the myocardium, although they may be more probable in the coronary arteries”. Interestingly, it also suggests that people who experience ‘silent’ heart attacks, without chest pain, may do so because of differences in the brain circuitry that interprets the sympathetic nervous system alarms from the heart. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/6 "2017-03-03T23:36:03Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > When I had angioplasty, my doctor said he would only anesthetize the insertion place in my thigh,because there are no sensory neurons in the heart. Apparently there aren’t any in the major arteries, either. > > So when you are captured by savages and they eat your heart before your very eyes, it won’t hurt a bit. I’m not sure about the part where they wind your intestines around a tree, my cardiologist didn’t mention that. Well, fortunately after they eat your heart, you wont feel anything of the intestinal adventure. 😃 I think the cardiologist may have failed to mention that there are a bunch of painful nerves involved in popping out your heart though? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-have-sensory-neurons-inside-our-heart/781325/7 "2017-03-04T01:54:18Z")
I had no pain, either during or after my procedure, for my cardiac ablation surgery (I had two, in fact). I could vaguely detect them poking around in there. It’s pretty tough to localize any sensations in your chest. The “sore chest” could have been discomfort from laying on your back for 6 hours.