Peripheral nerves convey versatile information about the body’s environment to the brain, which is interpreted as haptic, somatic and visceral experiences, including pain. Healthy nerves conduct action potentials from their peripheral endings to the spinal cord, where synaptic transmission first takes place. The ‘Gate Control’ theory assumes that the peripheral somatosensory signals are first integrated in the spinal cord and subsequently analysed in higher brain centres. Here we show that the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are able to modulate nociceptive signals before they enter the CNS. Simultaneous whole nerve recordings were obtained from the C8 dorsal root (DR) and spinal nerve (SN) in the decerebrate working heart brainstem preparation of 18 day, Wistar rats of either sex (methods adapted from Paton. (1996)). These nerves innervate the median nerve supplying the forepaw. C8 ventral roots were transected. Using in-house custom written scripts to enable spike sorting, we were able to identify action potentials in the SN and match these to spikes propagated to the DR. Direct application of GABA (200 µM) into the DRG did not result in any changes in tonic activity in either aspect of the nerve (DR: 14.1 ± 1.2Hz Vs 14.2 ± 1.2Hz (p= 0.95), SN: 34.2 ± 2.5Hz Vs 35.1 ± 2.6Hz (p= 0.8); n= 19). Noxious stimuli (Randall Selitto) applied directly to the forepaw of the rat resulted in increased firing in both DR (12.7 ± 0.9Hz to 26.8 ± 1.3Hz, p< 0.001) and SN (31.4 ± 1.6Hz to 45.4 ± 2Hz, p< 0.001; n= 20). Randall stimulation during DRG application of GABA significantly reduced firing frequency in the DR (18.6 ± 1.1Hz, p< 0.001) but not in the SN (48.6 ± 2.3Hz, p< 0.2; n= 13), an effect we are interpreting as GABA-induced filtering of the conduction through the DRG. Spike sorting revealed that the extracellular action potentials traveling along C fibers were more likely to be filtered, in comparison to those in A-type fibers, suggesting that the DRG is able to selectively filter painful stimuli entering the spinal cord via GABAergic mechanisms. This notion was further confirmed in experiments with innocuous stimulation (cotton bud strokes, air puff) and proprioceptive stimulation. These stimuli also resulted in increased firing in both, SN and DR, however, direct application of GABA into the DRG during these circumstances was not able to reduce DR firing rate in the same manner seen with noxious stimulation. Taken together our findings indicate that peripheral somatosensory ganglia may represent a filter or even a ‘gate’ within the somatosensory system and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for pain relief. As DRGs are not well protected by the blood-brain or blood-nerve barriers, this offers a unique opportunity to target the DRG with BBB-impermeable drugs thereby reducing central nervous system related side effects.