Let’s face it, none of us like feeling pain.
The last thing you want is to pay more attention to it. However, understanding the kind of pain you feel can help you comprehend what your body is trying to tell you, and help you resolve it before it turns into a chronic one!
In this article, you will learn a little about the different kinds of pain and how to identify them!
Nociceptive pain
Nociceptive pain is the most common kind. It happens when nociceptors (pain receptors) are stimulated. Most of your body has them. It’s your body saying, “Hey there, looks like you hurt yourself, be careful.”
It’s caused by pretty much any type of injury or inflammation, and its lifespan can depend on the intensity of the injury.
Nociceptive pain is further classified into visceral and somatic pain.
Visceral pain happens in the internal organs of your chest, abdomen, and pelvis. That’s the pain often described as an ache, squeezing or cramping pain, or pressure pain.
Somatic pain means you’re hurting in your bodily tissue. Something caused by a strained muscle, bone fracture, cut, scrape, burn, and joint pain.
Acute pain
Feel a sharp, intense pain that gradually gets better? That’s what doctors call acute pain. Normally it’s caused by tissue in injury. It shouldn’t last longer than six months and will go away when its cause is treated.
It’s caused by pretty much any type of injury or inflammation, and its lifespan can depend on the intensity of the injury.
The most common acute pain causes broken bones, surgery, dental work, cuts, and burns.
Chronic pain
If your pain lasts more than six months or after the cause is fixed, it’s called chronic pain. Unfortunately, it can last for years and go from mild to heavy at a day’s notice. Chronic pain comes with tense muscles, a lack of energy, and limited mobility.
Some examples of chronic pain include frequent headaches, nerve damage-related pain, lower back pain, arthritis pain, and fibromyalgia pain.
Neuropathic pain
Lastly, neuropathic pain is caused by damage to or dysfunction of your nervous system. It happens when pain receptors fire off seemingly out of nowhere. That’s the burning, freezing, stabbing, tingling, and electric pain.
Diabetes, infections, spinal nerve issues, and accidents most often cause it.
How to talk to a doctor or a physician about your pain?
Even when knowing the different kinds of pain, it can still be hard to describe it. Here’s a helpful little checklist you can run down when talking to your doctor:
How long you’ve had the pain?
How often does it occur?
What brought the pain?
What movements make the pain better or worse?
Where do you feel the pain?
Is the pain localised in one spot or spread out?
Is your pain something that comes and goes, or is constant?
Pain is no laughing matter. Whether it’s bumping the nightstand with your little toe or taking a tumble off a bicycle, understanding it will make your life much easier. It’s essential to be aware of what your body is feeling, and if the pain persists for longer than a day or two – strongly consider seeing a doctor.
You never know when some minor ache can have a large underlying problem or turn into something long-lasting. It might cost you in the short term, but at the end of the day, your good health is priceless.