common causes of pain

WHAT IS PAIN

According to the Encarta Dictionary; pain is the acutely unpleasant physical discomfort experienced by somebody who is violently struck, injured, or ill.

Pain is a complicated process that involves an intricate interplay among numbers of important chemicals found naturally in the brain and spinal cord. These chemicals are called neurotransmitter, transmitting nerve impulses from one cell to another.

Pain is a nature warning that something is wrong with body and the most compelling problems of man.
Through pain we are able to know when something adverse is going on somewhere in the body. A man who feels no pain is thus as good as dead.

Pain enables us to pay attention to our body. A man who enjoys his food so much and has the tendency to overeat may not know it is time to stop if his stomach does not send some signals through pain to inform him that he has had enough.

TYPE OF PAIN

1. Somatic Pain

This pain is caused by the activation of pain receptors in the musculoskeletal tissues. Somatic pain is usually described as aching. This pain is probably caused by a combination of factors, such as inflammation, repetitive trauma, vigorous stretching, excessive activities, flabbiness, etc. Generally speaking, somatic pain is usually aggravated by activity and relieved by rest.

2. Visceral Pain


Visceral is refers to as the internal areas of the body that are enclosed in a cavity. Visceral Pain is the pain we feel when our internal organ is injured, and by far, this pain is the most common of pain. Visceral pain is caused by the activation of pain receptor in abdomen and chest area, and also by problems with internal organ, such as the stomach pain, gallbladder pain, urinary bladder pain, kidney pain, and intestines.


3. Neuropathic Pain


Neuropathic pain is caused by injury or malfunction to the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Neuropathic pain is typically a burning, tingling, shooting, stinging sensation. The Neuropathic pain usually occurs within days, weeks, or months of the injury and tends to occur in waves of frequency and intensity. The pain is diffuse and occurs at below the level of injury, examples, leg pain, toes pain, back pain, feet pain, and thigh pain. Some cause Neuropathic Pain include the following  


I. Amputation       II. Diabetes      III. Shingles      IV. Chemotherapy      V. Multiple Sclerosis 


VI. Alcoholism