Are you in pain?
September 1, 2020 – Unfortunately, at some point in our lives we are going to experience pain. It could be pain from a loss, pain due to an injury, or several other types of causes. We need to understand what pain is and where it is coming from to treat it and help it get better.
There are 3 basic types of pain: nociceptive, neuropathic, and “other”.
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- Nociceptive: This type of pain is the most common type. You feel it with strains, bug bites, stubbing your toe, etc. This type of pain can change with positions, movements, or loads.
- Neuropathic: This type of pain comes from damage to the nervous system. This type of pain can include sciatica, MS, alcoholism, etc.
- Other: The other type of pain can be a result of the combination of the first two types or be something completely different, such as fibromyalgia.
There are other ways to try to classify pain. These include:
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- Acute: New and sometimes sudden pain.
- Chronic: Pain that has been around for a while. Most likely comes from chronic pain.
- Breakthrough: Sharp bouts of new pain that can happen with certain movements, activities, or as pain killers are not as effective.
- Nerve: Caused by damage or stress to a nerve. Often feels like a zinger, burning, or achy pain that is not relieved with normal pain meds.
- Referred: Often caused by an internal organ or other non-musculoskeletal structure that gives us the sensation of the pain happening in a different area of the body.
- Phantom: Occurs when our brain feels pain in a part of the body that has been removed.
Having a better understanding of what pain is, where it is coming from, and how it is affecting you can make it easier to treat. At Witte Physical Therapy we know all pain is different and affects everyone differently. We will work hard to understand how your pain affects you and then build a program that is specific to you to help you improve your pain as quickly as possible. Call us in Louisville at 402-234-3333 or Plattsmouth at 402-298-4747 to schedule your free consultation today and let us help you get on the road to being pain free!
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