UNDERSTANDING YOUR PAIN

Pain is a familiar feeling of discomfort that not only takes physical toll but can cause emotional stress, anxiety, and even depression. Pain can be mild or excruciatingly sharp. It can go away quickly or linger for a while. It can be acute or chronic. It is instinct to want to rid the pain.

Based on the criteria of what caused it, pain comes in two types: Nociceptive and Neuropathic pain. The medical term "Nociceptive" describes the more common experience that results when nerves respond to a physical or potential injury to the body tissues: skin, muscles, joints, tendons, bones, or visceral organs (the internal organs within the area of the torso like heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, intestines). Nociceptive pain is normally triggered if you touched a hot object, cut your skin, stubbed your toes, over exerted your muscles, consumed bad food, etc. Nociceptive pain is the normal response from the nervous system, which helps protect your body.

The other type is "Neuropathic" pain. Unlike Nociceptive pain, Neuroparhic pain does not result from obvious causes. Rather, it can result from activities that do not normally hurt and "from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes." Neuropathic pain is characterized as generally shooting, stabbing, burning, tingling, and unpredictable as "it can go away on its own but is often chronic. Sometimes it is unrelenting and severe, and sometimes it comes and goes." Neuropathic pain commonly indicates nerve damage or faulty nerves firing up signals that the brain cannot properly understand. Neuropathic pain is a result of a damaged or improperly functioning nervous system. According to Mayo Clinic: the signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include:

• Gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands, which can spread upward into your legs and arms
• Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Pain during activities that shouldn't cause pain, such as pain in your feet when putting weight on them or when they're under a blanket
• Lack of coordination and falling
• Muscle weakness
• Feeling as if you're wearing gloves or socks when you're not
• Paralysis if motor nerves are affected

Nociceptive pain is caused by tissue damage and Neuropathic pain nerve damage.

Recognizing pain and understanding it is a critical first step in addressing the problem.