There are many different types of pain that we experience, stemming from external sources, internal problems, or even chronic issues that we deal with daily. Some pain is manageable and can be fixed, while others can only be mitigated and must be addressed more seriously. No matter what type of pain you experience, OC Pain can help you manage your symptoms and is the best pain specialist in Orange County. Before you make an appointment, here are four types of pain you can familiarize yourself with.
Nociceptive Pain
This is the most common type of pain that can occur, and is considered to be “the commonsensical sort” or “the pain of damage.” To clarify these terms a bit more, this is the pain you experience when tissue or organs have been traumatized or damaged. Every type of pain is only felt because of receptors that send the notion of pain to your brain. Both nociceptive and neuropathic pain work this way, and without these receptors, physical damage wouldn’t actually be painful. These safeguards are put in place so that our brain registers when something is causing our body physical damage, and we are made aware to stop whatever that is. Essentially, an external force causes this pain that send the receptors to our brain to caution that something is not right. This can be caused by a lot of things, such as, stubbing your toe, straining your muscles, arthritis, burns, and broken bones.
Neuropathic Pain
If external forces cause nociceptive pain, then internal forces cause neuropathic pain. As stated above, both types of pain are caused due to receptors sending pain signals to our brain; however, one has cause while the other technically does not. Neuropathic pain is the type of pain that really does not have cause, but sends pain signals anyway. Scientifically speaking, this type of pain happens when there is damage to the nervous system. That means that the receptors that send pain signals to the brain are broken, and are sending signals when there is no real reason to. Although this may seem like the worse of the two, it sends the same amount of pain even without any external stimuli. Internal injuries, diseases, and even a pinched nerve can cause this. If you are having trouble deciphering whether your pain is an external or internal problem, be sure to talk to the best pain specialist in Orange County. OC Pain can help you pinpoint the problem and give you expert advice on how to treat it.
Acute and Chronic Pain
Acute and chronic pain refers to the length and intensity of the distress. Acute pain typically happens quickly, and does not have a lengthy duration. This is the type of pain that would be mostly associated with nociceptive because it is usually brought on by a sudden external force. The same damage to tissue, bone, organs, and muscles that causes nociceptive pain is what causes acute pain. On the other side, chronic pain is the type that lasts longer. Chronic pain is usually associated with an illness, and like neuropathic pain, is brought on by some internal problem. Since acute pain is caused by something tangible, it is much easier to resolve, but since chronic pain is linked to internal problems, it can be persistent and resistant to treatment.
No matter what type of pain you are feeling, finding the cause and mapping a solution can be helpful on a physical and mental level. If you need a pain specialist in Orange County, look no further than OC Pain! Click here to contact our office and schedule an appointment today!
