Causes of Pain
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Understanding pain and prescription meds and how they interplay can help you identify and combat future problems that may arise from the many symptoms and causes of pain that affect thousands of people every day.
Described below is a consummate list of various inflammation types associated with common causes of pain to assist those suffering from discomfort in identifying appropriate prescription meds and alleviation solutions:
Acute Pain
Acute pain is usually short lived and intense, typically as a result of an injury. Normally recedes and stops as the injury heals.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain lasts a lot longer than acute pain. Chronic pain can be mild or severe and is usually treated by prescription meds.
Nociceptive Vs. Non-Nociceptive.
Nociceptive Pain
Nociceptive pain occurs when particular pain receptors are stimulated. These receptors are related to temperature, vibration, movement and chemicals released from damaged cells. Types of nociceptive pain include:
- Somatic Pain - Pain in this category is felt in the skin, joints, muscles, bones and ligaments. The term musculo-skeletal pain is synonymous with somatic pain. Causes of pain in this category include lack of oxygen (muscle cramps), cuts and scrapes, or sprained muscles which cause inflammation.
- Visceral Pain - Related to the internal organs and main body cavities, (lungs, heart, bowel, spleen, liver, kidney, ovaries, bladder and womb), this type of pain is due to inflammation, movement and oxygen starvation. This kind of pain is usually a deep ache and is often treated by prescription meds.
Non-Nociceptive Pain
Non-nociceptive pain occurs within the peripheral or central nervous system itself. Pain is generated by dysfunctions in nerve cells, rather than from specific receptors. Types of non-nociceptive pain include:
- Neuropathic Pain: comes from a pinched or trapped nerve. Neuropathic pain can be caused by nerve degeneration resulting from multiple-sclerosis, stroke or oxygen starvation. A slipped disc can cause nerve inflammation. Nerve infection (such as shingles) is also a cause of neuropathic pain.
- Sympathetic Pain: The sympathetic nervous system is related to our blood flow, muscles, skin, perspiration and plays an active part in regulating the speed of the peripheral nervous system. Sympathetic pain usually occurs after a fracture or soft tissue injury of the limbs. As with neuropathic pain, the nerve is injured, becomes unstable and fires off abnormal signals to the brain, which interprets them as pain. Prescription meds should only be used when absolutely necessary to treat this type of pain.
Referred Pain
Referred pain is experienced in a different area from the original injury. When you have a heart attack, the injury is to the heart, however, there is sometimes pain in the back, neck and shoulders rather than the chest. There has been an awareness of referred pain for centuries. There is still no knowledge of its origins and causes.
As you can see, there are many different symptoms, classifications, and causes of pain. It is best to consult your doctor first to pinpoint the cause and find the solution to any particular pain irritation when thinking about medication or prescription meds.
