What term describes pain caused by a stimulus that does not normally cause pain?

The term that accurately describes pain caused by a stimulus that does not normally evoke a painful response is "allodynia." This phenomenon occurs when a person experiences discomfort or pain from stimuli that typically would not be painful, such as light touch or the sensation of clothing against the skin. Allodynia is often linked to conditions affecting the nervous system, where the processing of pain signals may be altered.

This definition highlights that the central feature of allodynia is the inappropriate pain response to usually benign stimuli, distinguishing it from other pain-related conditions that have different underlying mechanisms. For instance, hyperalgesia refers to an increased sensitivity to pain, which is different from experiencing pain from non-painful stimuli. Neuropathy involves nerve damage leading to either loss of sensation or abnormal sensations such as tingling, while paresthesia refers specifically to tingling or pricking sensations, not necessarily related to pain perception.