Pain is mild to severe, uncomfortable discomfort that can occur throughout the body. They are throbbing, tearing, flowing, stabbing or cause other sensations that unmistakably indicate that something is wrong with your body.
What is pain?
Infographic on pain regions, progression and development of pain, and intensity levels when feeling pain. Click image to enlarge. Pain is an unpleasant sensation that can occur anywhere in the body. There is mild pain that can be endured without any problems, but there is also severe pain that is hard to imagine if you have never had it before. Pain always indicates that there is an injury or a disease in the body that attacks the tissue and in this way causes the discomfort. In principle, pain can occur in the whole body and in all forms of tissue, i.e. in bones, connective tissue or soft tissues. Forms of pain:
- Burning pain
- Chest pain
- Joint pain
- Pain in the limbs
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Muscle pain
- Earache
- Back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Stabbing pain
- Abdominal pain
- Toothache
Causes
Pain occurs due to irritation of the nerves. If there is an injury, for example, a cut on the skin, the nerves at the corresponding location are also affected by this and react by emitting pain stimuli. Pain of the bones has a similar cause and arises, for example, from fractures, but also from contact with pathogens. Pain of the internal organs is usually due to a disease that attacks the tissue, such as inflammation. Some pains, for example headaches, are triggered by stress. The muscles tense up, causing the nerves to be pinched or to come into contact with pain-triggering messenger substances. So some pain also has a purely neurological cause and is triggered by a malfunction or an incorrect load on the body in everyday life.
Diseases with this symptom
- Hypothermia
- Heart attack
- Burn
- Migraine
- Cystitis
- Stroke
- Rib fracture
- Heart muscle inflammation
- Lung cancer
- Mediastinitis
- Pleurisy
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatism
- Gout
- Overweight
- Hepatitis
- Lyme disease
- Meniscus tear
Course
Most mild pains subside on their own. They arise only with more harmless injuries or come about with headaches that are simply tension-related. Moderate pain, on the other hand, can also subside on its own, but it takes longer to do so because there are usually more nerves involved in the pain. Severe pain, on the other hand, rarely lasts long, but is so unbearable for the patient that it is treated when it occurs. Regardless of the severity of the pain, it can also recur over and over – this is common with contact with pain-causing pathogens or underlying diseases that are in the healing phase. In turn, people who experience severe pain in the context of cancer often suffer from permanent pain that does not go away on its own, but requires urgent treatment.
Complications
A variety of complications can occur with pain. Broadly speaking, failure to treat pain symptomatically can cause it to become chronic. Often, in retrospect, there is no longer any identifiable physical cause for the persistent discomfort. The pain therefore continues to exist as a symptom, even when the condition has long since healed. The reason for this is physical memory. On the other hand, constantly recurring pain can attack the psyche of the affected person. Out of fear of the pain recurring, painkillers are taken, which can damage the body in the long run. On the other hand, those who do without soothing medication in the case of severe pain often unconsciously fall into a protective posture. Such an incorrect posture can lead to a shift in pain on the one hand and damage unaffected areas of the body on the other.Consequential pain in the spine is particularly common, coming from a protective posture that has been maintained for too long. Patients with chronic pain are often difficult to treat. In some cases, the discomfort can no longer be completely controlled and can only be reduced to a lower level. This leads to increased frustration and conflict with the treating physician. On top of that, a further complication is that non-treatment can lead to aggression and depression in the patient in the long run. This lowers the pain threshold and the patient finds himself in a vicious cycle.
When should you go to the doctor?
When it comes to pain, there is no general way to predict whether or not it needs to be examined by a doctor. As a rule, pain indicates to the affected person by a signal that something is wrong in the body. It may be only a slight bruise or overexertion, or it may be a serious illness. In general, the patient should always be able to live pain-free, even pain at rest should not occur. Therefore, if the pain occurs over a longer period of time and does not disappear on its own, a doctor should be consulted. The treatment and its success depend very much on the cause of the pain and the underlying disease. Especially if the pain becomes unbearable, an emergency doctor or hospital should be consulted. The patient should never treat pain with painkillers alone for a prolonged period of time. If the pain occurs after an accident, a doctor must likewise be consulted. In the case of general pain that cannot be attributed to a specific disease, a visit to the family doctor or the hospital is suitable if the pain is unbearable. In the case of specific regions, such as toothache can be directly visited the respective doctor.
Treatment and therapy
Pain always indicates that there is an injury or a disease in the body, which attacks the tissue and in this way provides for the discomfort. Pain treatment is divided into curative and palliative treatment. Curative treatment aims to address the pain along with its cause. Usually, agents are used to eliminate the pain so that the patient is well while his or her underlying disease is being treated. Some of these agents (painkillers) are also freely available and are used, for example, for headaches that have no more serious cause than the stress of everyday life. Curative treatment also includes strong painkillers that are designed to eliminate appropriately severe pain immediately. Palliative pain management, on the other hand, is for patients who will die from their underlying disease or who cannot be cured, even if the disease itself does not cause death. Many cancer patients receive palliative treatment in the last weeks and months of their lives, for example, because they would be in severe pain if they did not receive medication. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, on the other hand, are unpleasant but not fatal, so they cannot be treated curatively. The goal, however, is not to leave patients alone with their pain. Usually, remedies for pain are administered as tablets, since the common remedies are suitable for this purpose even in high doses. However, injections and infusions are also possible.
Outlook and prognosis
A general prognosis cannot be given for pain. Whether treatment is possible or necessary depends very much on the pain itself and must be decided in each individual case. However, in medicine, pain can almost always be numbed or limited. This means that patients do not feel any pain during treatments or during operations. Painkillers can be used for minor pain or pain that lasts only a short time. Here, care must be taken not to take them in excess, as they are harmful to the stomach. However, in case of long-lasting and unbearable pain, a doctor should always be consulted, as a major complication is hidden behind this pain. In most cases, the causes of the pain can be located and addressed relatively easily. Pain can be treated either with the help of medication or surgically. It is not uncommon for pain to spread to different regions.For example, a toothache can also lead to a headache, affecting other regions of the body. In such cases, a doctor can provide an insight into the cause of the pain and treat it.
Prevention
Pain can be prevented by protecting yourself from it as much as possible in everyday life. Care should be taken when handling objects or situations where you could hurt yourself, and protective clothing should be worn when offered. Even when playing sports, caution towards oneself and others is paramount. However, it is difficult to prevent pathological pain. Here it is necessary to prevent a wide variety of diseases.
This is what you can do yourself
Pain patients should keep moving whenever possible. Even a short walk can distract from thoughts of pain. It is important not to overexert yourself in the process and rather start with shorter distances. Walking also loosens the muscles and moves the joints. Nordic walking or other sports can also distract from pain. The family doctor can assess which type of exercise is sensible for pain patients. In addition, those affected should provide small moments of happiness in everyday life. Even small things can help to regain a little joie de vivre, especially in the case of chronic pain. They give inner satisfaction and alleviate moments of pain. Relaxation techniques loosen tense muscles and improve body awareness. Stress-related bad posture and tension are noticed at an early stage and stress is reduced in a targeted manner. In pain therapy, for example, autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson are useful. Warmth often helps against pain. A hot water bottle or a warm pack can be placed on the affected areas. It is important not to ignore pain. Pain patients should see a doctor in time and talk openly about the pain. The sooner the pain is treated, the greater the chances of recovery. Not only for physical pain, but also for psychological pain, the help of an expert should be accepted.
