"Alice hit her head on the car door and stopped to rub the injured area. Based on the gate theory of pain transmission, by rubbing her head, Alice activated the , which can inhibit the pain pathway in the spinal cord."

- Haptic-proprioceptive pathway.

Explanation:

Patrick Wall's 'Gate theory of pain transmission' asserts that how non-painful sensation may turn helpful in reducing the painful sensation by blocking the 'pain' signals or neurological 'gate' that makes one sense pain.

As per the given description, Alice has activated the 'haptic-proprioceptive pathway' or the neurological gate which would prevent the pain signals from being transmitted to the brain. If she rubs the place, the brain might receive the pain-signals and elevate pain sensation. The 'gate theory of pain transmission' asserts that 'nerve gates' play a vital role as they prevent the information from reaching to the brain and turns helpful in minimizing the pain sensation.