Painful discomfort can occur both during strain or overexertion, due to poor posture, disease or injury, and during movement. A special form of pain is known as pain at rest.
What is pain at rest?
In rest pain, patients complain of painful sensations that are evident whenever they are at rest, sitting or sleeping. In rest pain, patients complain of painful sensations that are evident whenever the affected person is at rest, sitting, or sleeping. There are two versions of rest pain, which differ from each other in the respective localization of the rest pain. In addition to the deeper lying, a superficial rest pain is also diagnosed. In most cases, the pain at rest is limited to the arms and/or legs. Rest pain is considered to be a so-called leading symptom and plays an important role in various medical fields such as internal medicine, orthopedics, psychiatry and neurology, because other diseases can be derived from it.
Causes
One cause of rest pain, which predominantly begins at night, may be inflammatory processes or diseases of the joints, such as may occur after incorrect or excessive strain or as a result of osteoarthritis or other rheumatic complaints. Pain at rest can therefore also affect the hips. Pain at rest can also be triggered by the presence of a pressure sore. If physically immobile, paralyzed people remain lying in one position for a longer period of time, irritations of the nerves occur due to the insufficient blood circulation. These are perceived as pain at rest. Chronic limb pain in the extremities can also be caused by polyneuropathy or toxins as pain at rest. Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition known as collagenosis, and shoulder-arm syndrome, disturbances in blood flow due to vascular disease, and carpal tunnel syndrome can also cause pain at rest.
Diseases with this symptom
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatism
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Decubitus
- Polyneuropathy
- Circulatory disorders
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Shoulder-Arm Syndrome
- Achillodynia
Diagnosis and course
Depending on the trigger and the underlying disease responsible for the pain at rest, the pain at rest also manifests itself in a different intensity, localization and type. Pain at rest may be accompanied by an intense stinging or burning sensation, tingling or numbness. In addition, pain at rest may be prominent in the way that the extremities “fall asleep,” which can become extremely painful, especially at night. Pain at rest is also often experienced as a pressure or traction pain. Pain at rest associated with an urge to move is considered very unpleasant and is represented by a throbbing pain.
Complications
Pain at rest, without treatment, can cause complications in everyday life, which can greatly limit daily work. Since the causes can also be psychosomatic, complications such as tingling, burning, and numbness are to be expected. The more often the affected patient tries to rest, the more severe the pain can become. Therefore, a visit to the family doctor is necessary, as well as to the psychologist. With this examination sequence, treatment can be selected without any complications for the patient. However, complications may arise in the treatment when psychosomatic medications are used to relieve the affected patient from the suffering. The complications of the treatment can be reduced by examining the patient’s medical history. This is the responsibility of the doctor in charge. He must investigate whether family members have ever had problems with the medication or have come into contact with it. In this way, the doctor can choose the individual dose and intensity for the medication. Pain therapy can help relieve the pain, but it also takes some getting used to. Therefore, it is important that the patient allows his body a period of habituation. During this, he should adapt to the various homeopathic remedies.
When should one go to the doctor?
In the case of pain at rest, a doctor should always be consulted.Depending on the intensity of the symptoms, a trip to the emergency room is sometimes recommended. If the pain at rest occurs at night and prevents restful sleep, this must be clarified promptly in order to avoid health complications. As a general rule, rest pain that occurs without an identifiable cause and has a negative impact on physical or mental well-being must be treated medically. Pain at rest that is experienced with an increased urge to move manifests itself in a particularly unpleasant way and requires immediate clarification. Even if the extremities repeatedly “fall asleep”, this should be examined by a specialist, as a nerve disorder may be present. It is possible that the pain is caused by a serious rheumatic disease or a decubitus ulcer, which can lead to further complaints if left untreated. Pain at rest after an accident or in people with a previous joint or muscle disease should be discussed with the attending physician. In children, adolescents and pregnant women, rest pain should always be clarified by a general practitioner. Other contacts are rheumatologists, internists and neurologists.
Treatment and therapy
In order to be able to treat a rest pain adequately, the respective medical measures are adapted to the triggers of the complaints. In some cases, it is inevitable to see the doctor immediately. This is necessary if the pain at rest is caused by disturbances of the blood circulation. A whole range of modern pain therapies as well as various invasive interventions help to eliminate the pain at rest or make it more bearable. If the pain at rest is a chronic process, which is particularly agonizing for pain patients, a wide variety of therapies can help. In this context, treatment is based on several pillars. These include, in order to combat the pain even without a demonstrable underlying disease, in addition to the drug therapy variant, also the various methods of performing so-called anesthesia procedures. The targeted pain therapy for pain at rest is supplemented by numerous proven physiotherapeutic procedures. In this context, the effects of physical applications are often successfully used against pain at rest. Many people who suffer from pain at rest trust the possibilities of special alternative healing methods such as homeopathy or traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture has become a proven method that can help reduce pain. Specialties such as neurosurgery and psychotherapy also offer quite a few therapeutic approaches to rest pain.
Outlook and prognosis
Usually, rest pain can be treated relatively well. If rest pain is only temporary and does not last long, it can also be controlled with painkillers in the short term. Here, however, the patient should be careful not to take the painkillers over a long period of time, as they damage the stomach. Pain therapies can also help with long-lasting pain at rest. In many cases, the pain at rest cannot be completely contained, but it can be reduced to a minimum. As a result of the pain at rest, sufferers are severely restricted in their everyday lives and can no longer do certain things in the usual way. The quality of life therefore declines sharply and can also lead to psychological problems and depression. It is not uncommon for patients to be dependent on the help of other people to cope with everyday life. Particularly in old age, the body should not be subjected to unnecessary strain in order to avoid pain at rest. The form of therapy depends greatly on the cause of the pain. A healthy level of activity helps keep the body in shape. A healthy diet has an equally good effect on pain at rest. However, whether there is a positive outlook for this symptom cannot be universally predicted.
Prevention
Pain at rest is an unsightly condition, which does not necessarily have to be accepted without treatment. For prevention in rest pain, it should be said that the various organ systems should not be overly stressed. This applies to both the psyche and the body in the case of pain at rest. A healthy amount of all activities can be helpful in order not to have to suffer through the experience of rest pain.Proper treatment of underlying conditions is also beneficial to prophylactically counteract the pain.
What you can do yourself
Pain at rest can usually always be treated with painkillers. However, the patient should make sure that the painkillers are not used for a long period of time, as they can damage the stomach. However, they are suitable for temporary pain. In addition to the painkillers themselves, pain-relieving and cooling ointments and creams can also be used. Likewise, there are a variety of home remedies that can counteract rest pain. In addition to pain-relieving and decongestant herbs such as peppermint or lemon balm, administered in teas, massages also help relieve rest pain. The affected area can be massaged slowly, and a nourishing cream for the skin can also be used. Heat and cold therapies can also be used. The affected area of the body can be cooled with a cooling pad or warmed up with the help of a heat pad or hot water bottle. Visits to the sauna are also very helpful for rest pain and counteract it. Acupressure and acupuncture can be tried as alternative healing methods. Under no circumstances should the affected areas be subjected to heavy stress. If the strains are due to work, they must be stopped in any case. Likewise, sports activities should be limited if they lead to or promote rest pain. If it I an open wound, it can be covered with a plaster or bandage, which can relieve the pain.
