Understanding Pain

We all suffer pain. We all do different things to cause pain. We all feel Pain slightly differently.

Why is a pain so difficult to explain to others?

Why does pain persist in some of us, but not in others?

Maybe it’s because we have difficulty understanding the who, what, where, when and how about pain.

Pain… a simple word… a Pandora box of thinking! The following article is designed to help you understand pain and pain management.

Types of Pain

Nerve Pain

Nerve pain (neuropathic pain) is pain caused by damage or disease that affects your nervous system. Nerve pain can occur due to direct damage to the nerve (eg diabetic peripheral neuropathy, cut nerve, post-stroke). Alternatively, it can be affected by a virus eg shingles.

Nociceptive Pain

Nociceptive pain seems a little easier to explain. It occurs when you knowingly damage something eg a muscle tear or a broken bone.

The nerve endings in the damaged tissue detect a problem and initiate pain signals that are transferred through your peripheral nerves to the brain via the spinal cord. Your brain interprets the signals as pain.

Acute pain is associated with a new onset of pain. It is normally associated with injury.

Pain Management Options