Understanding Different Types Of Pain And How To Manage Them

WE ALL EXPERIENCE SOME LEVEL OF PAIN FROM TIME TO TIME, WHETHER IT’S DUE TO AN INJURY, OVERUSE, OR SIMPLY EVERYDAY ACHES AND PAINS THAT COME WITH AGING. HOWEVER, NOT ALL PAIN IS THE SAME – IT CAN HAVE VARIOUS CAUSES AND FEEL VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE TYPE. UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAIN IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN EFFECTIVELY MANAGING IT.

ACUTE VS CHRONIC PAIN ACUTE PAIN ARISES SUDDENLY FROM AN INJURY OR INCIDENT, LIKE A SPRAINED ANKLE OR PULLED MUSCLE. IT’S USUALLY SHORT-LIVED AND RESOLVES WITHIN A FEW WEEKS ONCE HEALING BEGINS. ACUTE PAIN SIGNALS AN INJURY AND HELPS PROTECT THE INJURED AREA WHILE IT HEALS. APPLYING RICE (REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, AND ELEVATION) CAN HELP REDUCE ACUTE PAIN AND SWELLING. OVER-THE-COUNTER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICATIONS MAY ALSO PROVIDE RELIEF.

CHRONIC PAIN LASTS LONGER THAN ACUTE PAIN, LINGERING FOR 3 MONTHS OR MORE EVEN AFTER HEALING. UNLIKE ACUTE PAIN, CHRONIC PAIN OFTEN SERVES NO PROTECTIVE PURPOSE AND CAN PERSIST LONG AFTER THE INITIAL INJURY OR CONDITION HAS RESOLVED. CHRONIC PAIN COMES IN MANY FORMS, INCLUDING:

NEUROPATHIC PAIN – CAUSED BY NERVE DAMAGE OR DYSFUNCTION AND DESCRIBED AS BURNING, SHOOTING, ELECTRIC SHOCK-LIKE PAIN. COMMON CAUSES ARE SHINGLES, DIABETES, AND SPINAL CORD INJURIES. MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN – AFFECTS MUSCLES, LIGAMENTS, TENDONS AND BONES. FIBROMYALGIA AND ARTHRITIS ARE EXAMPLES. ABDOMINAL/PELVIC PAIN ORIGINATES INTERNALLY IN ORGANS LIKE THE STOMACH, UTERUS, OR INTESTINES. ENDOMETRIOSIS, IBS, CAN LEAD TO CHRONIC ABDOMINAL PAIN. HEADACHE PAIN – FREQUENT OR CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES. MANAGING CHRONIC PAIN REQUIRES A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH BEYOND MEDICATION ALONE. LIFESTYLE CHANGES LIKE STRESS MANAGEMENT, GENTLE EXERCISE, PHYSIOTHERAPY, CHIROPRACTIC CARE, AND MASSAGE THERAPY CAN ALL HELP REDUCE CHRONIC PAIN LEVELS. SEEING A DOCTOR IS IMPORTANT TO CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE AND RULE OUT ANY UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

NOCICEPTIVE VS NEUROPATHIC PAIN NOCICEPTIVE PAIN SIGNALS ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL TISSUE DAMAGE, WHILE NEUROPATHIC PAIN OCCURS DUE TO NERVE DAMAGE OR DISEASE. EXAMPLES ARE ACUTE PAIN FROM A SPRAIN VERSUS ONGOING BACK PAIN FROM SCIATICA. NOCICEPTIVE PAIN RESPONDS WELL TO MEDICATIONS TARGETING INFLAMMATION AND NERVE PATHWAYS, WHILE NEUROPATHIC PAIN IS MORE DIFFICULT TO TREAT AND MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS.

BREAKTHROUGH PAIN MANAGEMENT BREAKTHROUGH PAIN IS A TEMPORARY FLARE-UP OF OTHERWISE MANAGED CHRONIC PAIN. IT COMMONLY HAPPENS DESPITE AROUND-THE-CLOCK PAIN RELIEF MEDICATIONS. TO PREVENT IT FROM ESCALATING, BREAKTHROUGH PAIN NEEDS PROMPT TREATMENT WITH SHORT-ACTING RESCUE MEDICATIONS. LEARNING TRIGGERS FOR BREAKTHROUGH EPISODES HELPS WITH PREVENTION STRATEGIES, TOO.

LASTLY, REFERRED PAIN FEELS LIKE IT’S COMING FROM ONE PART OF THE BODY BUT IS ACTUALLY CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL ORGAN ELSEWHERE. AN EXAMPLE IS LEFT ARM PAIN, WHICH IS SOMETIMES FELT DURING A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE THE NERVES IN THAT REGION ORIGINATE NEAR THE HEART. UNDERSTANDING TRUE PAIN SOURCES IS IMPORTANT FOR CORRECT DIAGNOSIS AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT PLANNING.

DOES YOUR PAIN HAVE YOU PERPLEXED? BOOK A CONSULTATION WITH REVIBE’S MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM. THEY’LL CAREFULLY EXAMINE YOUR UNIQUE SITUATION AND DEVELOP A FULLY CUSTOMIZED WELLNESS PRESCRIPTION FOR LONG-LASTING RELIEF. YOUR JOURNEY BACK TO WELLNESS STARTS HERE.