What is Pain?
Physical pain may have different causes, such as an injury or illness in the body. The way we describe pain is based on how long it lasts, what makes it worse or better, and the parts of the body that are affected. Pain can be categorised as “acute pain” and “chronic pain”, both of which we’ll explore here.
Acute Pain
Acute pain can start suddenly and may last for days or weeks. It usually stops when the cause of the pain has been treated or has healed. Acute pain may be caused by things such as an operation, an injury like breaking a bone or spraining an ankle, or an infection. Acute pain can become chronic pain if it is not relieved.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for 3 months or more. It can be caused by illnesses like arthritis, cancer or disorders such as ulcerative colitis. Sometimes chronic pain has no obvious or underlying cause or it may be caused by specific medical conditions, such as low back pain from osteoarthritis or nerve pain after shingles.
If think you may have chronic pain, or pain is affecting your health and quality of life, such as your ability to work or relationships, you should get advice on managing your pain from a healthcare professional. It may take more than one appointment with your GP or another healthcare professional to assess the reasons for, and management of your pain.
Types of Pain
Irrespective of how long it lasts, pain is also identified by what part of the body it affects - It can be caused by actual or potential damage to tissues (nociceptive) or by a problem with one or more nerves (neuropathic). Nociceptive and neuropathic pain can happen at the same time and can be caused by the same condition, for example by certain cancers.
Nociceptive pain
Most of us will have experienced nociceptive pain at some point. Nociceptive pain is caused by damage to tissues and inflammation, such as a cut, pulled hamstring, arthritis or a broken bone. It can also be caused by potential damage to tissues such as pressure inside or outside of the body (like a tumour or bumping a leg). With nociceptive pain, tiny nerve endings (nociceptors) inside tissues, send pain messages to the brain. Nociceptive pain tends to be sharp or aching, but can usually be eased by painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen and more serious pain, by codeine or morphine.
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is caused by a problem or wound to one or more of the nerves that run through the centre and surrounding parts of our body (central or peripheral). The nerve is affected and may malfunction in the way that it sends pain messages to the brain. For example with a painful condition called sciatica, the sciatic nerve is irritated or squashed in the lower back, causing pain to travel down the leg. Neuropathic pain is often described as burning, stabbing, shooting, aching, or similar to an electric shock. The more common types of painkillers are less likely to help with neuropathic pain, however stronger painkillers like codeine or medicines such as those used to treat epilepsy or depression, often work to ease this kind of pain. Conditions such as diabetes, shingles, amputation (phantom pain), cancer and nerve disorders, may cause neuropathic pain.
Referred pain
Referred pain is when the cause of the pain is not in the same area of the body as the pain itself. For example, a heart attack can cause pain in the left arm. The heart attack occurs in the chest, so the pain in the arm is “referred pain”. Another example is sciatica, which is caused by a squashed nerve in the lower back – however, pain may be felt in the leg.
How to Respond to Pain
Pain, especially when it’s long-term, can make you feel anxious, irritable, frustrated or depressed. Tiredness, plus pressures at work and home can all influence how you experience pain. Trying to work on managing stress and accessing emotional support can help to relieve pain. You could also discuss pain management techniques with a healthcare professional. They might be able to suggest certain ways to help you relax, such as deep breathing, thought distraction, exercise, positivity and mindfulness.
If you have sudden but mild pain from an injury such as a sprain or strain, for the first couple of days you could try RICE therapy:
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation
- rest the injury first
- apply an ice pack to the sore area.
- wrap a bandage around the joint to support it (compression)
- elevate or raise the injured joint as much as you can, when sitting or lying down.
If your pain is more serious, gets worse or it’s not getting any better, you should get medical advice or see a doctor immediately.
A pharmacist might also be able to help, by recommending medicines to ease your pain and swelling. They may suggest using paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory pain relief medicine such as ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is available as pills you swallow, as well as medicated gels or plasters that you can apply directly to the injured area.
You may wonder about when to treat pain at home or when you should see a doctor. It’s best to get advice from 111 if:
- an injury is not feeling any better after caring for it at home
- you have pain, swelling or a headache that is getting worse
- you have an injury with a very high temperature or you feel hot and shivery – this could be an infection
- you have body pain or a headache that keeps coming back
- painkillers do not help and the pain is getting worse
- you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – (a migraine or, more rarely, a cluster headache)
- you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful
Pain is a very personal experience and you are the only one who can describe your pain.
FAQs
What is pain?
Unlike touch, taste, sight, smell or hearing, pain is an emotion. Pain can be interpreted by our body, as a warning of possible damage. However, we can also experience pain when there is no actual harm being done. Read more about types of pain here.
Why do we have pain?
Acute or short term pains can work like an alarm telling us something is wrong. Most minor ones are easy to treat, but others may be a sign of something more serious. For example the pain of a broken leg will make us rest the leg until it heals, which makes this a beneficial pain. On the other hand chronic pain sometimes has no useful purpose. Even when it has been identified and treated, some pain might not go away and may affect our ability to work and sleep, our mood and relationships.
Read more about how pain works here.
What is the main cause of pain?
There is no single or main cause of pain. Pain can be caused or experienced due to several reasons and in different ways. Some pain may be caused by damage to tissues in our body and others due to nerve damage. Read more about identifying pain here.
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