Types and characteristics of pain. How to get rid of chronic pain and cure pain syndrome Types of pain characteristic signs of pain

This is the first of the symptoms described by the doctors of ancient Greece and Rome - signs of inflammatory damage. Pain is what signals us about some kind of trouble that occurs inside the body or about the action of some destructive and irritating factor from the outside.

Pain, according to the well-known Russian physiologist P. Anokhin, is designed to mobilize various functional systems of the body to protect it from the effects of harmful factors. Pain includes such components as sensation, somatic (bodily), vegetative and behavioral reactions, consciousness, memory, emotions and motivations. Thus, pain is a unifying integrative function of an integral living organism. In this case, the human body. For living organisms, even without signs of higher nervous activity, can experience pain.

There are facts of changes in electrical potentials in plants, which were recorded when their parts were damaged, as well as the same electrical reactions when researchers inflicted injury on neighboring plants. Thus, the plants responded to damage caused to them or to neighboring plants. Only pain has such a peculiar equivalent. Here is such an interesting, one might say, universal property of all biological organisms.

Types of pain - physiological (acute) and pathological (chronic).

Pain happens physiological (acute) And pathological (chronic).

acute pain

According to the figurative expression of Academician I.P. Pavlov, is the most important evolutionary acquisition, and is required to protect against the effects of destructive factors. The meaning of physiological pain is to reject everything that threatens the life process, disrupts the balance of the body with the internal and external environment.

chronic pain

This phenomenon is somewhat more complex, which is formed as a result of pathological processes existing in the body for a long time. These processes can be both congenital and acquired during life. Acquired pathological processes include the following - the long existence of foci of inflammation that have various causes, all kinds of neoplasms (benign and malignant), traumatic injuries, surgical interventions, outcomes of inflammatory processes (for example, the formation of adhesions between organs, changes in the properties of the tissues that make up their composition) . Congenital pathological processes include the following - various anomalies in the location of internal organs (for example, the location of the heart outside the chest), congenital developmental anomalies (for example, congenital intestinal diverticulum and others). Thus, a long-term focus of damage leads to permanent and minor damage to body structures, which also constantly creates pain impulses about damage to these body structures affected by a chronic pathological process.

Since these injuries are minimal, the pain impulses are rather weak, and the pain becomes constant, chronic and accompanies a person everywhere and almost around the clock. The pain becomes habitual, but does not disappear anywhere and remains a source of long-term irritating effects. A pain syndrome that exists in a person for six or more months leads to significant changes in the human body. There is a violation of the leading mechanisms of regulation of the most important functions of the human body, disorganization of behavior and the psyche. The social, family and personal adaptation of this particular individual suffers.

How common is chronic pain?
According to research by the World Health Organization (WHO), every fifth inhabitant of the planet suffers from chronic pain caused by various pathological conditions associated with diseases of various organs and body systems. This means that at least 20% of people suffer from chronic pain of varying severity, intensity and duration.

What is pain and how does it occur? Department of the nervous system responsible for the transmission of pain sensitivity, substances that cause and maintain pain.

The sensation of pain is a complex physiological process that includes peripheral and central mechanisms, and has an emotional, mental, and often vegetative coloring. The mechanisms of the pain phenomenon have not been fully disclosed to date, despite numerous scientific studies that continue up to the present time. However, let us consider the main stages and mechanisms of pain perception.

Nerve cells that transmit pain signal, types of nerve fibers.

The very first stage of pain perception is the impact on pain receptors ( nociceptors). These pain receptors are located in all internal organs, bones, ligaments, in the skin, on the mucous membranes of various organs in contact with the external environment (for example, on the intestinal mucosa, nose, throat, etc.).

To date, there are two main types of pain receptors: the first are free nerve endings, the irritation of which causes a feeling of dull, diffuse pain, and the second are complex pain receptors, the excitation of which causes a feeling of acute and localized pain. That is, the nature of pain sensations directly depends on which pain receptors perceived the irritating effect. Regarding specific agents that can irritate pain receptors, it can be said that they include various biologically active substances (BAS) formed in pathological foci (the so-called algogenic substances). These substances include various chemical compounds - these are biogenic amines, and products of inflammation and cell decay, and products of local immune reactions. All these substances, completely different in chemical structure, are capable of irritating pain receptors of various localization.

Prostaglandins are substances that support the body's inflammatory response.

However, there are a number of chemical compounds involved in biochemical reactions, which themselves cannot directly affect pain receptors, but enhance the effects of substances that cause inflammation. The class of these substances, for example, includes prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are formed from special substances - phospholipids that form the basis of the cell membrane. This process proceeds as follows: a certain pathological agent (for example, enzymes form prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Prostaglandins and leukotrienes are generally called eicosanoids and play an important role in the development of the inflammatory response. The role of prostaglandins in the formation of pain in endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, as well as painful menstruation syndrome (algodysmenorrhea) has been proven.

So, we have considered the first stage of the formation of pain - the impact on special pain receptors. Consider what happens next, how a person feels pain of a certain localization and nature. To understand this process, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the pathways.

How does the pain signal get to the brain? Pain receptor, peripheral nerve, spinal cord, thalamus - more about them.

The bioelectric pain signal formed in the pain receptor is directed to spinal nerve ganglia (knots) located next to the spinal cord. These nerve ganglia accompany each vertebra from the cervical to some of the lumbar. Thus, a chain of nerve ganglia is formed, running to the right and left along the spinal column. Each nerve ganglion is connected to the corresponding area (segment) of the spinal cord. The further path of the pain impulse from the spinal nerve ganglia is sent to the spinal cord, which is directly connected to the nerve fibers.

In fact, the dorsal could - this is a heterogeneous structure - white and gray matter is isolated in it (as in the brain). If the spinal cord is examined in cross section, then the gray matter will look like the wings of a butterfly, and the white will surround it from all sides, forming the rounded outlines of the boundaries of the spinal cord. Now, the back of these butterfly wings is called the posterior horns of the spinal cord. They carry nerve impulses to the brain. The front horns, logically, should be located in front of the wings - this is how it happens. It is the anterior horns that conduct the nerve impulse from the brain to the peripheral nerves. Also in the spinal cord in its central part there are structures that directly connect the nerve cells of the anterior and posterior horns of the spinal cord - thanks to this, it is possible to form the so-called "mild reflex arc", when some movements occur unconsciously - that is, without the participation of the brain. An example of the work of a short reflex arc is pulling the hand away from a hot object.

Since the spinal cord has a segmental structure, therefore, each segment of the spinal cord includes nerve conductors from its area of responsibility. In the presence of an acute stimulus from the cells of the posterior horns of the spinal cord, excitation can abruptly switch to the cells of the anterior horns of the spinal segment, which causes a lightning-fast motor reaction. They touched a hot object with their hand - they immediately pulled their hand back. At the same time, pain impulses still reach the cerebral cortex, and we realize that we have touched a hot object, although the hand has already reflexively withdrawn. Similar neuroreflex arcs for individual segments of the spinal cord and sensitive peripheral areas may differ in the construction of the levels of participation of the central nervous system.

How does a nerve impulse reach the brain?

Further, from the posterior horns of the spinal cord, the path of pain sensitivity is directed to the overlying parts of the central nervous system along two paths - along the so-called "old" and "new" spinothalamic (path of the nerve impulse: spinal cord - thalamus) paths. The names "old" and "new" are conditional and speak only about the time of the appearance of these pathways in the historical period of the evolution of the nervous system. However, we will not go into the intermediate stages of a rather complex neural pathway, we will limit ourselves to stating the fact that both of these paths of pain sensitivity end in areas of the sensitive cerebral cortex. Both the “old” and “new” spinothalamic pathways pass through the thalamus (a special part of the brain), and the “old” spinothalamic pathway also passes through a complex of structures of the limbic system of the brain. The structures of the limbic system of the brain are largely involved in the formation of emotions and the formation of behavioral responses.

It is assumed that the first, more evolutionarily young system (the “new” spinothalamic pathway) of pain sensitivity conduction draws a more defined and localized pain, while the second, evolutionarily older (“old” spinothalamic pathway) serves to conduct impulses that give a feeling of viscous, poorly localized pain. pain. In addition to this, the specified "old" spinothalamic system provides emotional coloring of pain sensation, and also participates in the formation of behavioral and motivational components of emotional experiences associated with pain.

Before reaching the sensitive areas of the cerebral cortex, pain impulses undergo a so-called preliminary processing in certain parts of the central nervous system. These are the already mentioned thalamus (visual tubercle), hypothalamus, reticular (reticular) formation, sections of the middle and medulla oblongata. The first, and perhaps one of the most important filters on the path of pain sensitivity is the thalamus. All sensations from the external environment, from the receptors of internal organs - everything passes through the thalamus. An unimaginable amount of sensitive and painful impulses passes every second, day and night, through this part of the brain. We do not feel the friction of the heart valves, the movement of the abdominal organs, various articular surfaces against each other - and all this is due to the thalamus.

In the event of a malfunction of the so-called anti-pain system (for example, in the absence of the production of internal, own morphine-like substances that arose due to the use of narcotic drugs), the aforementioned flurry of all kinds of pain and other sensitivity simply overwhelms the brain, leading to terrifying in duration, strength and severity emotional pain. This is the reason, in a somewhat simplified form, of the so-called “withdrawal” with a deficit in the intake of morphine-like substances from the outside against the background of long-term use of narcotic drugs.

How is the pain impulse processed in the brain?

The posterior nuclei of the thalamus provide information about the localization of the source of pain, and its median nuclei - about the duration of exposure to the irritating agent. The hypothalamus, as the most important regulatory center of the autonomic nervous system, is involved in the formation of the autonomic component of the pain reaction indirectly, through the involvement of centers that regulate metabolism, the work of the respiratory, cardiovascular and other body systems. The reticular formation coordinates already partially processed information. The role of the reticular formation in the formation of the sensation of pain as a kind of special integrated state of the body, with the inclusion of various biochemical, vegetative, somatic components, is especially emphasized. The limbic system of the brain provides a negative emotional coloring. The process of understanding pain as such, determining the localization of the pain source (meaning a specific area of \u200b\u200bone's own body), together with the most complex and diverse reactions to pain impulses, occurs without fail with the participation of the cerebral cortex.

Sensory areas of the cerebral cortex are the highest modulators of pain sensitivity and play the role of the so-called cortical analyzer of information about the fact, duration and localization of the pain impulse. It is at the level of the cortex that integration of information from various types of conductors of pain sensitivity occurs, which means the full-fledged design of pain as a multifaceted and diverse sensation. pain impulses. Like a kind of transformer substation on power lines.

We even have to talk about the so-called generators of pathologically enhanced excitation. So, from the modern point of view, these generators are considered as the pathophysiological basis of pain syndromes. The mentioned theory of system generator mechanisms makes it possible to explain why, with a slight irritation, the pain response is quite significant in terms of sensations, why after the cessation of the stimulus, the sensation of pain continues to persist, and also helps to explain the appearance of pain in response to stimulation of skin projection zones (reflexogenic zones) in the pathology of various internal organs.

Chronic pain of any origin leads to increased irritability, reduced efficiency, loss of interest in life, sleep disturbance, changes in the emotional-volitional sphere, often leading to the development of hypochondria and depression. All these consequences in themselves increase the pathological pain reaction. The emergence of such a situation is interpreted as the formation of vicious circles: pain stimulus - psycho-emotional disorders - behavioral and motivational disorders, manifested in the form of social, family and personal maladaptation - pain.

Anti-pain system (antinociceptive) - role in the human body. Threshold of pain sensitivity

Along with the existence of a pain system in the human body ( nociceptive), there is also an anti-pain system ( antinociceptive). What does the anti-pain system do? First of all, each organism has its own genetically programmed threshold for the perception of pain sensitivity. This threshold allows us to explain why different people react differently to stimuli of the same strength, duration and nature. The concept of sensitivity threshold is a universal property of all receptor systems of the body, including pain. Just like the pain sensitivity system, the anti-pain system has a complex multilevel structure, starting from the level of the spinal cord and ending with the cerebral cortex.

How is the activity of the anti-pain system regulated?

The complex activity of the anti-pain system is provided by a chain of complex neurochemical and neurophysiological mechanisms. The main role in this system belongs to several classes of chemicals - brain neuropeptides. They also include morphine-like compounds - endogenous opiates(beta-endorphin, dynorphin, various enkephalins). These substances can be considered so-called endogenous analgesics. These chemicals have a depressing effect on the neurons of the pain system, activate anti-pain neurons, and modulate the activity of higher nerve centers of pain sensitivity. The content of these anti-pain substances in the central nervous system decreases with the development of pain syndromes. Apparently, this explains the decrease in the threshold of pain sensitivity up to the appearance of independent pain sensations against the background of the absence of a painful stimulus.

It should also be noted that in the anti-pain system, along with morphine-like opiate endogenous analgesics, well-known brain mediators such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as well as hormones and hormone-like substances - vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone), neurotensin. Interestingly, the action of brain mediators is possible both at the level of the spinal cord and the brain. Summarizing the above, we can conclude that the inclusion of the anti-pain system makes it possible to weaken the flow of pain impulses and reduce pain sensations. If there are any inaccuracies in the operation of this system, any pain can be perceived as intense.

Thus, all pain sensations are regulated by the joint interaction of the nociceptive and antinociceptive systems. Only their coordinated work and subtle interaction allows you to adequately perceive pain and its intensity, depending on the strength and duration of exposure to the irritating factor.

Pain is understood as the reaction of the organism of an adaptive nature. If discomfort continues for a long time, then they can be characterized as a pathological process.

The function of pain is that it mobilizes the forces of the body to fight any disease. It is accompanied by the appearance of vegetative-somatic reactions and exacerbation of the psycho-emotional states of a person.

Notation

Pain has several definitions. Let's take a look at them.

Pain is a psychophysical state of a person, which is a reaction to stimuli associated with organic or functional disorders.
Also, this word refers to an unpleasant sensation that a person experiences with any dysfunction.
Pain also has a physical form. It manifests itself due to malfunctions in the body.

From the foregoing, the following conclusion can be drawn: pain, on the one hand, is the fulfillment of a protective function, and, on the other hand, a phenomenon that is of a warning nature, namely, it signals an impending breakdown in the system of the human body.

What is pain? You should know that this is not only physical discomfort, but also emotional experiences. The psychological state may begin to deteriorate due to the fact that there is a painful focus in the body. Against its background, problems appear in the work of other body systems. For example, a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, a decrease in immunity and a decline in working capacity. Also, a person may worsen sleep and loss of appetite.

Emotional state and pain

In addition to physical manifestations, pain affects the emotional state. A person becomes irritable, apathetic, depressive, aggressive and so on. The patient may develop various mental disorders, sometimes expressed in the desire to die. Here the strength of the spirit is of great importance. Pain is a test. It happens that a person cannot assess his real state. He either exaggerates the pain effect, or, conversely, tries to ignore it.

An important role in the patient's condition is played by the moral support of relatives or other close people. It is important how a person feels in society, whether he communicates. It's better if he doesn't close in on himself. Also of great importance is the patient's awareness of the source of discomfort.

Health care professionals are constantly confronted with such feelings in patients, as well as their emotional state. Therefore, the doctor is faced with the task of diagnosing the disease and prescribing a treatment regimen that will have a positive effect on the recovery of the body. Also, the doctor must see what kind of psychological and emotional experiences a person can experience. The patient needs to be given recommendations that will help him emotionally set himself in the right direction.

What species are known?

Pain is a scientific phenomenon. It has been studied for many centuries.

It is customary to divide pain into physiological and pathological. What does each of them mean?

Physiological pain is the reaction of the body, which is carried out through receptors to the focus of the appearance of any disease.
Pathological pain has two manifestations. It can also be reflected in pain receptors, and can also be expressed in nerve fibers. These pains require longer treatment. Since the psychological state of a person is involved here. The patient may experience depression, anxiety, sadness, apathy. These conditions affect his communication with other people. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the patient closes in himself. Such a state of a person greatly slows down the healing process. It is important that during treatment the patient has a positive attitude, and not a depressive state, which can lead to a deterioration in the person's condition.

Types

Two types are defined. Namely: acute and chronic pain.

Acute refers to damage to body tissues. Further, as you recover, the pain goes away. This species appears abruptly, passes quickly and has a clear source. There is such pain due to any damage, infection or surgery. With this type of pain, a person's heart begins to beat rapidly, pallor appears and sleep is disturbed. Acute pain occurs as a result of tissue damage. It quickly passes after the treatment and healing.
Chronic pain is a state of the body in which, as a result of tissue damage or the occurrence of a tumor, a pain syndrome appears that lasts for a long time. In this regard, the patient's condition is aggravated, but there are no signs that a person suffers with acute pain. This type negatively affects the emotional and psychological state of a person. When pain sensations are present in the body for a long time, the sensitivity of the receptors is dulled. Then the pain is not felt as pronounced as at first. Doctors say that such sensations are the result of improper treatment of an acute type of pain.

You should know that untreated pain in the future will have a bad effect on the emotional state of a person. As a result, she will burden his family, relationships with loved ones, and so on. Also, the patient will be forced to undergo repeated therapy in a medical institution, spending effort and money. In hospitals, doctors will need to re-treat such a patient. Also, chronic pain will not give a person the opportunity to work normally.

Classification

There is a certain classification of pain.

Somatic. Such pain is commonly understood as damage to such parts of the body as the skin, muscles, joints and bones. The causes of somatic pain include surgical intervention in the body and bone metastases. This species has permanent features. Typically, the pain is described as gnawing and throbbing.
Visceral pain. This type is associated with such lesions of internal organs as inflammation, compression and stretching. The pain is usually described as deep and squeezing. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint its source, although it is constant.
neuropathic pain appears due to irritation of the nerves. It is permanent, and it is difficult for the patient to determine the place of its occurrence. Typically, this type of pain is described as sharp, burning, cutting, and so on. It is believed that this type of pathology is very serious, and the most difficult to cure.

Clinical classification

Several clinical categories of pain can also be distinguished. These divisions are useful for initial therapy, since then their signs are mixed.

Nocigenic pain. There are cutaneous nociceptors. When they are damaged, a signal is transmitted to the nervous system. The result is pain. When the internal organs are damaged, a spasm or muscle strain occurs. Then there is pain. It can be reflected in certain areas of the body, for example, on the right shoulder or the right side of the neck if the gallbladder is affected. If there are unpleasant sensations in the left hand, then this indicates a heart disease.
neurogenic pain. This type is typical for damage to the central nervous system. It has a large number of clinical types, such as detachment of the branches of the brachial plexus, incomplete damage to the peripheral nerve, and others.
There are many mixed types of pain. They are present in diabetes, hernia and other diseases.
Psychogenic pain. There is an opinion that the patient is formed by pain. Representatives of different ethnic groups have different pain thresholds. For Europeans, it is lower than for Hispanics. You should know that if a person experiences any pain, then they change his personality. Anxiety may arise. Therefore, the attending physician needs to set the patient in the right way. In some cases, hypnosis may be used.

Other classification

When the pain does not coincide with the site of injury, there are several types of it:

projected. For example, if you squeeze the spinal roots, then the pain is projected into the areas of the body innervated by it.
Reflected pain. It appears if internal organs are damaged, then it is localized in distant parts of the body.

What types of pain do babies have?

In a child, pain is most often associated with the ears, head and tummy. The latter in young children hurts quite often, as the digestive system is being formed. Colic is common in infancy. Headaches and earaches are usually associated with colds and infections. If the child is healthy, then pain in the head may indicate that he is hungry. If a child has frequent headaches and is accompanied by vomiting, then it is necessary to contact a pediatrician for examination and diagnosis. Delaying a visit to the doctor is not recommended.

pregnancy and pain

Pain during pregnancy in women is a fairly common occurrence. During the period of bearing a baby, the girl constantly experiences discomfort. She may experience pain in different parts of her body. Many experience abdominal pain during pregnancy. A woman experiences hormonal changes during this period. Therefore, she may experience feelings of anxiety and discomfort. If the stomach hurts, then this may be caused by problems, the nature of which can be determined by a gynecologist. The presence of pain during pregnancy may be associated with fetal movement. When there is aching pain in the lower abdomen, you need to see a doctor.

Pain may also occur due to the digestive process. The fetus can put pressure on the organs. That is why pain occurs. In any case, it is better to consult a doctor and describe all the symptoms. It should be remembered that the state of pregnancy has a risk for both the woman and the unborn child. Therefore, it is important to determine what kind of pain is present in the body and describe its semantics to the attending physician.

Discomfort in the legs

As a rule, this phenomenon occurs with age. In fact, there can be many reasons for the appearance of pain in the legs. It is better to find them out and as early as possible and start treatment. The lower limb includes bones, joints, muscles. Any ailments of these structures can cause pain in a person.

If a person is healthy, then pain in the legs can occur from a lot of physical activity. As a rule, this is associated with playing sports, standing for a long time or walking for a long time. As for the fair sex, pain in the legs can accompany a woman during pregnancy. Also, discomfort can occur as a result of taking contraceptives of a certain group. The most common causes of leg pain are:

Various injuries.
Radiculitis, neuritis.
inflammatory processes.
Flat feet and arthrosis.
Violation of water-salt metabolism in the body.

There are also vascular pathologies in the legs that cause pain. The person himself cannot distinguish what is the cause of discomfort. He does not even know which specialist he needs to turn to. The doctor's task is to accurately diagnose and prescribe an effective treatment regimen.

How is the diagnosis of a patient who complains of pain in the legs carried out?

Since there are a great many reasons for the occurrence of discomfort in the legs, it is necessary to identify the actual one in each case. To do this, a number of surveys should be carried out.

Blood chemistry.
The patient is assigned a general blood test.
An assessment of water and electrolyte disturbances is made.
X-ray.
The amount of glucose present in the blood is measured.
Microbiological examination.
Examination of the patient with tumor markers if there is a suspicion of oncological diseases.
Serological study.
Bone biopsy, if there is a possibility of the presence of bone tuberculosis in the body.
Scanning ultrasound.
Vascular angiography is done to confirm venous insufficiency.
Tomography.
Reovasography.
Scintigraphy.
Ankle pressure index.

It should be understood that a person who went to the clinic with complaints of pain in the legs will not be assigned all of the above types of examinations. The patient will be examined first. Then, to confirm or refute a particular diagnosis, certain studies will be assigned to him.

Women's pain

Pain in a woman can occur in the lower abdomen. If they occur during menstruation and have a pulling character, then do not worry. Such a phenomenon is the norm. But if the lower abdomen pulls constantly and there is discharge, you need to see a doctor. The causes of these symptoms may be more serious than period pain. What causes pain in the lower abdomen in women? Consider the main pathologies and causes of pain:

Ailments of the female organs such as the uterus and ovaries.
Sexually transmitted infections.
Pain may occur due to the spiral.
After surgery, scars can form in the female body, which cause pain.
Inflammatory processes associated with ailments of the kidneys and bladder.
Pathological processes that may occur during pregnancy.
Some women experience pain during ovulation. This is due to the process of tearing the follicle and leaving it with an egg.
Also, pain can occur due to the bending of the uterus, as a result of which stagnation of blood is formed during menstruation.

In any case, if the pain is permanent, then you need to visit a doctor. He will conduct an examination and prescribe the necessary examinations.

Side pain

Quite often, people complain of pain in the side. In order to determine why exactly a person is disturbed by such unpleasant sensations, one should accurately determine their source. If pain is present in the right or left hypochondrium, then this indicates that the person has diseases of the stomach, duodenum, liver, pancreas or spleen. Also, pain in the upper lateral part can signal a fracture of the ribs or osteochondrosis of the spine.

If they occur in the middle part of the lateral regions of the body, then this indicates that the large intestine is affected.

Pain in the lower sections, as a rule, occurs due to ailments of the final section of the small intestine, ureters and ovarian diseases in women.

What causes a sore throat?

There are several reasons for this phenomenon. A sore throat is present if a person has pharyngitis. What is this disease? Inflammation of the back wall of the pharynx. Severe sore throat may be due to tonsillitis or tonsillitis. These ailments are associated with inflammation of the tonsils, which are located on the sides. Often the disease is observed in childhood. In addition to the above, the cause of such sensations can be laryngitis. With this disease, a person's voice becomes hoarse and hoarse.

dental

A toothache can come on suddenly and take a person by surprise. The easiest way to get rid of it is to take an anesthetic drug. But it should be remembered that taking the pill is a temporary measure. Therefore, do not put off your visit to the dentist. The doctor will examine the tooth. Then he will appoint a picture and carry out the necessary treatment. Toothache pains should not be suppressed with painkillers. If you experience discomfort, you should immediately contact your dentist.

A tooth can start to hurt for various reasons. For example, pulpitis can become a source of pain. It is important not to start the tooth, but to cure it in time, because if medical assistance is not provided in time, then its condition will worsen and there is a possibility of tooth loss.

Discomfort in the back

Most often, back pain occurs due to problems with the muscles or the spine. If the lower part hurts, then perhaps this is due to ailments of the bone tissue of the spine, ligaments of the discs of the spine, spinal cord, muscles, and so on. The upper part can be disturbing due to ailments of the aorta, tumors in the chest and inflammatory processes of the spine.

The most common cause of back pain is muscle and skeletal dysfunction. As a rule, this occurs after exposure to heavy loads on the back, with sprains or spasms. Intervertebral hernias are less common. In third place in terms of frequency of diagnosis are inflammatory processes and tumors in the spine. Also, diseases of the internal organs can cause discomfort. The choice of methods for treating back pain depends on the causes of its occurrence. Drugs are prescribed after examination of the patient.

Cardiac

If a patient complains of pain in the heart, this does not mean that the pathology of the heart is present in the body. The reason may be quite different. The doctor needs to find out what the essence of the pain is.

If the cause is cardiac in nature, then most often they are associated with coronary heart disease. When a person has this disease, the coronary vessels are affected. In addition, the cause of pain can be inflammatory processes that take place in the heart.

This organ can also begin to hurt as a result of excessive physical exertion. This usually happens after strenuous exercise. The fact is that the greater the load on the heart, the more rapidly its need for oxygen increases. If a person is actively involved in sports, then he may experience pain that disappears after rest. If the heart pain does not go away for a long time, then it is necessary to reconsider the loads that the athlete exercises on the body. Or it is worth restructuring the training process plan. A sign that you need to do this is a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and numbness of the left hand.

A small conclusion

Now you know what pain is, we have examined the main types and types of it. The article also presents a classification of unpleasant sensations. We hope that the information presented here was interesting and useful to you.

Everyone has experienced pain at one time or another. Pain can range from mild to severe, appear once, be constant, or come and go intermittently. There are many types of pain, and often pain is the first sign that something is wrong with the body.

Most often, doctors are contacted when there is acute pain or chronic pain.

What is acute pain?

Acute pain begins suddenly and is usually described as sharp. It often serves as a warning about a disease or a possible threat to the body from external factors. Acute pain can be caused by many factors, such as:

Medical manipulations and surgical intervention (without anesthesia);
bone fractures;
Dental treatment;
Burns and cuts;
Childbirth in women;

Acute pain can be mild and last literally seconds. But there is also severe acute pain that does not go away for weeks or even months. In most cases, acute pain is treated for no longer than six months. Usually, acute pain disappears when its main cause is eliminated - wounds are treated, injuries heal. But sometimes constant acute pain develops into chronic pain.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that persists for more than three months. It even happens that the wounds that caused the pain have already healed or other provoking factors have been eliminated, but the pain still does not disappear. Pain signals can remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or even years. As a result, a person may experience pain-related physical and emotional conditions that interfere with a normal life. The physical consequences of pain are muscle tension, low mobility and physical activity, and decreased appetite. On an emotional level, depression, anger, anxiety, fear of re-injury appear.

Common types of chronic pain are:

Headache;
Abdominal pain;
Back pain and in particular lower back pain;
Pain in the side;
Cancer pain;
Arthritis pain;
Neurogenic pain arising from nerve damage;
Psychogenic pain (pain that is not associated with past illnesses, injuries or any internal problems).

Chronic pain can start after an injury or infection, and for other reasons. But for some people, chronic pain is not associated with any injury or damage at all, and it is not always possible to explain why such chronic pain occurs.

2. Doctors who treat pain

Depending on what and how it hurts, and what caused the pain, different specialists can be engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of pain - neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, oncologists, therapists and other doctors of specialized specialties who will treat the cause of pain - a disease, one symptom of which is pain.

3. Diagnosis of pain

There are various methods to help determine the cause of the pain. In addition to the general analysis of pain symptoms, special tests and studies can be carried out:

Computed tomography (CT);
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
Discography (examination for the diagnosis of back pain with the introduction of a contrast agent into the spinal disc);
Myelogram (also performed with the introduction of a contrast agent into the spinal canal to increase the ability of X-ray examination. A myelogram helps to see nerve compression caused by herniated discs or fractures);
Bone scan to help identify bone disorders due to infection, trauma, or other causes
Ultrasound of internal organs.

4. Pain management

Depending on the strength of the pain and its causes, the treatment of pain may be different. Of course, self-medication is not worth it, especially if the pain is severe or does not go away for a long time. Symptomatic treatment of pain may include:

Over-the-counter pain medications, including muscle relaxers, antispasmodics, and some antidepressants;
Nerve blockade (blocking a group of nerves with an injection of a local anesthetic);
Alternative methods of pain treatment, such as acupuncture, hirudotherapy, apitherapy and others;
electrical stimulation;
Physiotherapy;
Surgical treatment of pain;
Psychological help.

Some pain medications work better when combined with other pain treatments.

Pain. What is this feeling - everyone knows. Despite the fact that it is very unpleasant, its function is useful. After all, severe pain is a signal of the body, which is aimed at drawing a person's attention to problems in the body. If the relationship with him is in order, then you can easily distinguish the pain that arose after exercise from the one that appeared after a very spicy meal.

Most often it is divided into two types: primary and secondary. Other names are epicritical and protopathic.

primary pain

Primary is pain that is caused directly by some kind of damage. It can be a sharp pain after a needle prick. This type is very sharp and strong, but after the impact of the damaging object stops, the primary pain immediately disappears.

It often happens that the pain after the disappearance of the traumatic effect does not disappear, but acquires the status of a chronic disease. Sometimes it can persist for so long that even doctors are unable to determine the reason why it arose in the first place.

secondary pain

Secondary pain is already pulling. At the same time, it is very difficult to indicate the place in which it is localized. In such a situation, it is customary to talk about a pain syndrome that requires treatment.

Why does pain occur?

So, a person has secondary pain. What is this syndrome? What are its reasons? After tissue damage occurs, pain receptors send an appropriate signal to the central nervous system, that is, the brain and spinal cord. This process is associated with electrical impulses and the release of special substances that are responsible for the transmission of nerve signals between neurons. Since the human nervous system is a rather complex system with many connections, in the management of sensations associated with pain, there are often failures in which neurons send pain impulses even when there are no stimuli.

Localization of pain

According to localization, the syndrome is divided into two forms: local and projection. If the failure happened somewhere on the periphery of the human nervous system, then the pain syndrome almost exactly coincides with the damaged area. This includes pain after visiting the dentist.

If a failure occurred in the central nervous system, then a projection form appears. This includes phantom, wandering pains.

Depth of pain

According to this characteristic, visceral and somatic are divided.

Visceral pain refers to sensations from the internal organs.

Somatic pain sensations are perceived as joint, muscle and skin pain.

There are symptoms that need to be addressed urgently.

Very severe, sharp pain in the head that has not been observed before

In this case, you must urgently consult a doctor. It can be both pain from a cold, and a brain hemorrhage, which is already much more serious. If there is no certainty about the reason that caused such a feeling, then you need to undergo a medical examination or call an ambulance. Treating acute pain before the cause is identified is not the best option. The main symptom is that the sensation passes before the injury heals. Correct diagnosis is very important.

Pain in the throat, chest, jaw, arm, shoulder, or abdomen

If there is chest pain, this may be a bad sign of pneumonia or a heart attack. But you need to know that with heart disease, there is usually some discomfort, not pain. What is discomfort in such diseases? Some complain of tightness in the chest, as if someone is sitting on top.

Discomfort that is associated with heart disease can be felt in the upper chest, as well as in the jaw or throat, left arm or shoulder, and in the abdomen. All this can be accompanied by nausea. So, if a person constantly experiences something like this and knows that he is at risk, you need to urgently check. After all, very often people miss time because they misinterpret the symptoms of pain. Doctors say that the discomfort that occurs from time to time should also be taken seriously. It may be associated with physical stress, emotional distress, or excitement. If this is experienced after gardening, and then passes during rest, then this is most likely angina pectoris, the attacks of which most often occur in hot or cold weather. Discomfort and pain in women with cardiovascular diseases are implicit. They can masquerade as symptoms of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which include discomfort in the abdomen, bloating. After menopause, the risk of these diseases increases dramatically. Therefore, you need to be attentive to your health.

Pain in the lower back or between the shoulder blades

Some doctors say it's a sign of arthritis. But there are other options to keep in mind. It could be a gastrointestinal disease or a heart attack. In a particular case, aching pain in these places may be a symptom. In people who are at risk for diseases associated with the heart and blood vessels, the integrity of organs may be impaired. These people include those with excessively high blood pressure, circulation problems, as well as smokers and diabetics.

Severe abdominal pain

These include inflammation of the appendix, problems with the pancreas and gallbladder, as well as stomach ulcers and other disorders that cause abdominal pain. You need to see a doctor.

Pain in the calf muscles

Thrombosis is a very serious disease. It feels intense pain. What is thrombosis? This is when a blood clot occurs in the veins, causing discomfort. A large number of people are affected by this disease. Its danger lies in the fact that part of such a clot comes off, which leads to death. Risk factors are advanced age, cancer, low mobility after prolonged bed rest, obesity, pregnancy. Sometimes there is no pain, but only swelling. In any case, it is better to seek help immediately.

Heat in the legs

This problem is familiar to many patients with diabetes. It was through her that this dangerous disease was revealed. Some people don't know they have diabetes. So the heat in the legs is one of the first signs. There is a tingling sensation or which may indicate damaged nerves.

Scattered pains, as well as combined

A variety of physical, painful symptoms often occur in depressive states. Patients may complain of soreness in the limbs or abdomen, diffuse pain in the head, and sometimes both. Due to the fact that discomfort may be chronic and not felt strongly, patients and their families may simply ignore such symptoms. And the stronger the depressive disorder, the more difficult it is for a person to describe the sensations. Pain after psychological trauma is often difficult to explain. This can be confusing for doctors. That is why it is necessary to identify other symptoms before making a diagnosis of depression. If you lose interest in life, you can’t think and work with high efficiency, and there are quarrels with people, you need to get the help of a doctor. When something hurts, you do not need to endure silently. After all, depression is not just a deterioration in the state and quality of life. It needs to be treated very actively before it has time to cause serious changes.

All of the above types of pain are dangerous, as they can be symptoms of serious diseases. Therefore, at the slightest sign, you should immediately seek help from doctors. After all, the essence of pain lies in the fact that a person understands that something is wrong in the body. In addition to unpleasant sensations and significant changes in the human body, pain can lead to sad consequences, the worst of which is death.