September is Pain Awareness Month and we’re sharing the most common types of chronic pain you should know. Better understanding these specific types will allow you to find the right treatment if you or a loved one is suffering from pain.

Pain is not something people wish for. It is unpleasant and can affect your physical and emotional well-being. Each person will experience pain in their own unique way. Some experience acute pain, or pain that last for a short period and then goes away.

Bee stings, sprained ankles, and even broken bones are examples of acute pain, if the pain leaves within a few days or months. If the pain does not leave, it can be considered chronic pain.

Chronic pain continues even if your injury or disease has healed. It signals that the nerves are not realizing the body has healed and they keep sending pain messages to your brain, which then tells your body to hurt.

What Are the Types of Chronic Pain?

It has been reported that 50 million Americans experience chronic pain. This does not include statistics on children with pain, or adults who do not report their pain.

One way to help those suffering from chronic pain is by educating everyone on the types and symptoms of chronic pain. Bringing awareness to the serious nature of chronic pain can also help people find the right help.

Education is knowledge and knowledge is power.

Below are six types of chronic pain to know that can be treated by a pain management specialist.

1. Nociceptive Pain

Muscles, skin and some organs have sensory nerves. These sensory nerves are called nociceptors and they recognize the stimuli that causes the feeling of pain. They send a message to the brain, which will identify the nociceptive pain.

For instance, headaches, arthritis and fibromyalgia are types of nociceptive pain.

When you injure a part of the body, or have a disease in parts of your body, the nerves associated with those parts can be triggered by pain. This becomes chronic when your pain continues for six months or longer.

2. Somatic Pain

Somatic pain is a type of nociceptive pain that is also detected in areas where there are sensory nerves. The key to understanding somatic pain is knowing the source is mostly within the muscles and skin of the body.

Somatic pain can occur when you injure your body in some way. You may tear a ligament, strain a muscle or break a bone. All of these can lead to chronic pain that would be considered somatic.

Headaches caused by tension are another example of somatic pain, as well as back pain that is nerve related, arthritis, and from areas in which the joints are unstable.

3. Visceral Pain

Visceral pain is another type of nociceptive pain. The difference, this pain is found mostly in the internal organs of the body that are near sensory nerves.

Locating the source of visceral pain can be harder to do than with somatic pain. This is because visceral pain can create pain in an area away from the actual pain source. The stomach is a visceral organ that can have visceral pain.

Examples of visceral pain include endometriosis and prostate pain. Also, digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome.

4. Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is like nociceptive pain in that they both relate to your nerves. But while nociceptive pain is caused by the nerves detecting painful stimuli, neuropathic pain is caused by a disturbance with the nerve itself.

The peripheral and central nervous systems are filled with nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain. If either system is damaged, this may create neuropathic pain. Meaning, the damaged nerves will continually send pain messages to your brain, which are then transmitted to your body.

If you have ever felt a sharp, shooting pain, or felt like you were being stabbed with pain, this is considered neuropathic pain. When this happens, your nerves have been irritated or damaged, sending an unexpected pain signal.

An example of neuropathic pain includes phantom pains among those who have had an amputation, including limbs or mastectomy. Other examples include the pain associated with diabetes and sciatica.

5. Psychogenic Pain

If you have ever experienced a mental health disorder, you know that symptoms of disorders such as depression and anxiety can be devastating to the way you think, feel and act.

What you may not know is that mental health disorders can also be a source of pain. Mental health disorders can have physical symptoms. Some report feeling general aches and pains. Others report fatigue, headaches, and joint pain.

Treating psychogenic pain can be more difficult to treat than nerve related pains. However, TENS and relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation have been shown to help.

6. Idiopathic Pain

When no source of your pain can be identified, it may be classified as idiopathic. This does not mean it is not real, though. In fact, idiopathic pain is very real.

And it usually appears in those who have already been diagnosed with another type of pain disorder, like fibromyalgia.

While it can be hard to treat idiopathic pain, there are methods your pain management specialist can try.

Other Types of Chronic Pain

There are still a few types of pains not yet mentioned.

• Central pain syndrome occurs when the central nervous system is damaged. Strokes, and MS are sometimes a cause of this syndrome.
• Complex regional pain syndrome usually follows an injury and a burning sensation is often associated with it.
• Shingles is caused by a virus and is considered very painful.
• Trigeminal neuralgia is a pain in the facial area, including lips, forehead, cheeks and chin that are caused by inflammation of the nerves.

Getting Treatment

The first step towards pain relief is to make an appointment with a pain management specialist. They can give you an accurate diagnosis and match the right treatment for your needs.

Depending on your pain source, treatments can include medications, steroidal injections, nerve stimulation, infusion techniques, biofeedback, and physical therapy. Incorporating massage and other alternative therapies may also be recommended.

If you are experiencing any source of chronic pain, reach out for help today.

Common Questions About Pain

Read More:

Pain Awareness Month: Common Conditions and Treatments to Know

Working out when you suffer from chronic pain is not easy, but there are ways to stay active while improving your mood, your energy, and ultimately reducing your pain.

Your fitness regimen is just one part of your busy schedule. Like doing laundry and paying the bills, you work out because it’s a necessary part of a healthy, balanced life, not because you enjoy it.

However, it can be difficult to do when your pain dictates when you’re able to work out. Some days are better than others, but the pain is always there, becoming a big reason why you skip out on staying active.

Does that sound like you? While it’s true that staying active is a necessity, that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable and a supplement to your chronic pain therapy and treatment.

If you want a workout routine you actually look forward to, follow these tips for adding self-care into your fitness regimen.

Improve Your Mood With Your Gut

Before we discuss workout tips, it’s important to become familiar with how your gut functions. There are so many areas of the body that are connected to your gut health, but one of the more surprising aspects is mood.

Yes, emotions aren’t just a part of the brain, they’re actually affected by what we put into our bodies. How?

• Serotonin, the hormone that improves mood levels, is secreted in the gut.
• Without healthy bacteria to support this function, your positive emotions can become negative.

If you want to feel better during workouts (and on those days when pain keeps you from them), pay attention to what you’re putting into your gut.

Reach for foods that contain probiotics such as kefir and yogurt. Avoid antibiotics when you can, as they can destroy the gut bacteria that are needed to improve your mood, digestion, and the immune system.

Schedule Your Workouts

Scheduled workouts might sound like the opposite of fun.

In truth, a schedule is key for taking the stress out of your exercise regimen. If you’re always thinking about how you should work out but don’t follow through, you’re wasting energy making excuses instead of doing things you enjoy.

Scheduled workouts encourage you to follow through on your exercise plans. They also keep your day predictable so it’s easier to make plans with friends and family.

Don’t assume you need to commit to a two-hour block for fitness. If you’re pressed for time, work out in shorter chunks, like 30 minutes at a time.

Keep a back up activity plan in mind as well.

• For example, if you’re having a flare up, opt for a gentler activity such as yoga or water aerobics as opposed to your typical walk or jog.
• The key is not to skip, as inactivity can increase your pain.

According to Harvard Health, “limiting your movements can weaken muscles, compounding joint trouble, and affect your posture, setting off a cascade of further problems.”

Any sort of movement, whether it’s gentle stretching or a full on yoga class is beneficial now and in the future, helping to strengthen muscles and joints and restore flexibility.

Keep the Biggest Picture in Mind

Exercise does more than strengthen your body. It is also a time when you can clear your mind and purge your thoughts of negativity. Being mindful during your fitness routine is one way to maintain your mental well-being and work through your pain on an emotional level.

When you exercise, you have the opportunity to feel your body and how it reacts to movement. You are in control, not your pain, and it’s a rewarding feeling.

While you move all the time, running, lifting weights, and other exercises are intentional, and you get to focus on how, when, and why you do these things. Couple this with soaking up your surroundings, and exercise becomes meditation while in motion.

Before you begin your workout, take the time to give yourself permission to let go of the day. Be clear in your intentions.

• Do you want to swim for 30 minutes?
• Is your goal today to simply walk a path you’ve never adventured through before?

Knowing what you want from your workout empowers you to reach your goals.

Find Exercises You Enjoy

If you’re struggling to find a workout that meets your needs, you have options:

• Take an exercise class with friends: Have you always wanted to try kickboxing, pole dancing, or another less common sport, but are too nervous about signing up alone? Find a willing friend and sign up for a class together!
• Take a hike: Hiking is a fabulous way to explore your region’s natural beauty, improve your mental well-being, and connect with the world around you.
• Become a bike commuter: Sick of starting your day sitting in traffic? Skip the gridlock and get a workout by commuting via bicycle instead.
• Take a dance class: The fluid movements of dance are another way to connect your mind and body while toning up and slimming down.
• Go swimming: Swimming not only builds full-body strength and endurance, but is also a great stress relief and a time when you can enjoy the peace of near weightlessness.

Focus on How You Feel, Not How You Look

Rather than focusing on how your body looks after working out, pay attention to how it feels. Before you notice your pants growing loose, you’ll notice changes over time including:

• Better sleep
• Increased energy
• Stronger muscles
• Sometimes even less pain

It’s inevitable that at times, you’re going to feel sore from a workout, which isn’t a welcome side effect when you deal with pain on a regular basis.

CBD oil can be a great aid to your recovery. It can help reduce inflammation and improve mobility, according to studies. You may also find that by taking CBD oil, you have less anxiety and are in a better mood. Make sure you check with your doctor first before taking CBD.

Once you get their approval, you can start researching CBD oils on the market.

Tracking workout progress is another excellent way to stay motivated on your fitness journey. Bodybuilding.com recommends keeping a log that tracks what you did in each workout.

That way, it’s easy to look back and see how your endurance and strength have grown over time, as well as log what works and what doesn’t.

Conclusion

Contrary to what you might think, working out is beneficial for chronic pain sufferers.

By choosing workouts you enjoy, fitting exercise into your schedule and adopting a positive mindset toward your fitness routine, you remind yourself what staying active is really all about: caring for your body and mind so you can live life to the fullest.

This article was written by personal trainer Jason Lewis. Find more of his work at strongwell.com

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