Types of Pain

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as, “…an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience as a result of actual or potential tissue damage.”

Pain is both a physical and emotional experience.

Pain is 100% a response from the brain. Your brain concludes that the body tissue is in danger, or threatened, and action is required. Pain putsyour system on red alert.

Types of Pain:

1. Acute and Subacute Pain:

• This type of pain has a known cause. It is useful and protective.
• It goes away in a reasonable length of time, definitely within a few months.
• It is directly related to an injury in the tissues.
• It is a warning system in our body which tells us to take care of the problem with medication, rest, or other appropriate measures.
• Good examples of an acute problem are an ankle sprain, a lifting injury at work, or cuts, scrapes and bruises.

2. Acute, Recurrent Pain:

• Has the same characteristics as acute pain but has recurrent flare-ups.
• This is caused by recurrent issues in the tissue because of a specific condition.
• An example of acute, recurrent pain condition is rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Chronic or Persistent Pain:

• This pain lasts for longer than three months, and the body is unable to return to its normal physiological function.
• It does not respond to treatment like acute pain.
• It no longer serves a useful purpose and it persists beyond the expected time for normal tissue healing.
• The intensity of the pain is related to the brain’s perception of the problem. There is often minimal problems in the tissue.
• The tissues are often unhealthy but are no longer damaged.
• Tissues may have healed in a tight and weak state, which causes abnormal sensations to be registered in the brain.
• The brain interprets these sensations as problematic, and produces a pain reaction to protect the tissues.