The way that pain is felt and described by a patient is one of the most valuable diagnostic tools that we have to try to figure out what is causing the pain and what the best treatments will be. While many people think, “pain is pain,” there are actually different types of pain, and they are all felt in unique ways.
One of the first things that I ask a new patient is to tell the story of their pain. A shock-like pain felt during the night is going to give me a whole different idea of what might be the cause compared to an aching, throbbing pain that is felt in the morning. Also, a hard to describe and hard to localize pain is going to give me clues that are different from a pain that is described as knife-like that a patient can point to with one finger.
To help understand this, I’d like to go over types of pain, and the common ways patients describe it.
There are two main types of pain:
1) Nociceptive Pain
2) Neuropathic Pain
Nociceptive Pain
Nociceptive pain is caused by damage to the tissues of the body. This can be damages to soft tissues like muscles and ligaments, damage to organs, or injury to bone. Nociceptive pain is often described as an ache, a sharp stabbing pain, or a throbbing pain.
Nociceptive pain can be further broken down into two types: somatic pain and visceral pain. The easiest way to understand this is to think of somatic pain as “outer pain.” This pain usually comes from the muscles, bones, and ligaments. Common types of somatic pain are arthritis, back pain, and neck pain. This pain is usually more intense than visceral pain and is easy to locate. The other type of nociceptive pain is called visceral pain, and this can be thought of as “inner pain.” This type of pain usually comes from organs, can be hard to describe and hard to tell where exactly it is. Patients often describe this as dull and vague. Examples of visceral pain include endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and cystitis or bladder pain.
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerves or the nervous system. Neuropathic pain is usually describes as burning, electrical, prickling, or pins and needles. Often, things as simple as a bed sheet touching the affected area can be very painful! Neuropathic pain can be caused by trauma to a nerve, damage to the central nervous system, certain medications, and diabetes. Examples of neuropathic pain are complex regional pain syndrome, central pain syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, and post-shingles pain.
When you see your doctor, spend some time thinking about what your pain feels like to you, where you feel it, what brings it on, and what time of day it is worst. These questions will help your doctor determine what treatments are likely to work best for you and your pain.
In Good Health,
Natalie H. Strand, MD
For more information on Scottsdale Liberty Hospital and how we can help you or a loved one with chronic pain, visit our information request page, or contact us at 480-586-2300
Scottsdale Liberty Hospital is the first specialty pain hospital in the nation and focuses on the treatment and wellness of chronic pain patients. For more information, please contact us at 480-586-2300 or visit our information page.
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
© Scottsdale Liberty Hospital, 2015
© Medical Marketing Solutions, 2015