Are you experiencing persistent pain that has lasted for months or years? If yes, you might be suffering from chronic pain due to inappropriate diagnosis and treatment of pain. Chronic pain might be quite severe to the extent that it affects your quality of life and prevents you from performing your daily chores effectively. The first step to ensuring you are treating your pain is determining what type of pain you are experiencing. Suppose you are experiencing chronic pain New Brunswick, and you seek treatment. You can start by learning about various types of chronic pain and how they are treated. Discussed below are a few types of chronic pain.

• Neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that results from nerve damage or tissue damage. Rather than physical injury, neuropathy is due to nerve damage. The damaged nerve fibers often alter your nervous function, thus sending incorrect signals to your brain. The signals are usually faulty because of the malfunction in how your nerves transmit pain signals to your brain. Your body consists of a network of nerves that form the peripheral nervous system. Chronic pain occurs when the peripheral nerves are diseased or injured. Causes of neuropathic pain include disease, arthritis, infections, diabetes, surgery, Parkinson’s disease, and accidents.  

• Nociceptive pain

Nociceptive pain is usually caused by an inflammation or injury of a body part and can also be due to physical pressure. Nociceptive pain can be divided into two categories depending on the point of origin of your pain. Generally, receptors, commonly referred to as nociceptors, are responsible for transmitting pain signals to your brain. They can lead to mechanical or physical damage to the affected body parts. These receptors can also detect chemical and thermal pain caused by extreme temperatures or toxic chemicals. Nociceptive pain exists in two types: visceral and somatic pain.

• Somatic pain

Somatic pain originates from your legs, arms, muscles, face, outside areas of the body, tendons, and muscles. The word soma means the body; somatic pain refers to pain due to injuries to your outer body. In most cases, it feels like an ache, sharp pain, or throbbing sensation. Usually, these nerves are located in the tissues, skin, or muscles. Of importance to understand is that somatic pain is triggered by a chronic disease or acute injury like a bruise, cut, joint injury, or arthritis.

• Visceral pain

Visceral pain is usually detected by nociceptors found in your internal organs that are made up of sensory nerves responsible for transmitting signals to your brain following an injury. Viscera refers to organs that are found in a cavity like an abdomen. It is a pain caused by constipation, stomach infections, internal bleeding, or cancer. It is often associated with symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and jitteriness. It is important to understand that visceral pain does not appear in the affected region and is often referred to as pain.

It is essential to understand the type of pain you are experiencing because it determines the type of treatment that is best for you. Therefore, if you are experiencing chronic pain and seeking treatment, start by scheduling your appointment at Pain & Aesthetic Care today.