HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT PAIN

Pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is caused by actual or perceived injury to body tissues and produces physical and emotional reactions. Pain might be called a protector, a predictor, or simply a hassle, because pain sensation has evolved to protect our bodies from harm by causing us to perform certain actions and avoid others.

The basic types of pain include :

v Nociceptive pain

The body's nervous system is working properly. There is a source of pain, such as a cut, a broken bone or a problem with the spine. The body's system of telling the brain that there is an injury starts working. This information is passed on to the brain and one becomes aware that they are hurting. Most back, leg, and arm pain is nociceptive pain. Nociceptive pain can be divided into two parts :

¨ Radicular pain:

Radicular pain is pain that stems from irritation of the nerve roots, for example, from a disc herniation. It goes down the leg in the distribution of the nerve that exits from the nerve root at the spinal cord. Associated with radicular pain is radiculopathy, which is weakness, numbness, tingling or loss of reflexes in the distribution of the nerve.

¨ Somatic pain:

Somatic pain is pain limited to the back or thighs. Back pain that does not go away after conservative treatment usually comes from one of three structures in the back: the facet joints, the discs, or the sacroiliac joint. The facet joints are small joints in the back of the spine that provide stability and limit how far you can bend back or twist. The discs are the "shock absorbers" that are located between each of the bony building blocks ( vertebrae ) of the spine. The sacroiliac joint is a joint at the buttock area that serves in normal walking and helps to transfer weight from the upper body onto the legs.

v Neuropathic pain

The body's nervous system is not working properly. There is no obvious source of pain, but the body nonetheless tells the brain that injury is present.

Diagnosa of pain :

Fluoroscopy is an X-ray guided viewing method. Fluoroscopically (x-ray) guided injections can help to determine where pain is coming from. Fluoroscopy is often used to assist the doctor in precisely locating the injection so that the medication reaches the appropriate spot and only the appropriate spot. Once the pain has been accurately diagnosed, it can be optimally treated.

Variety of skills and techniques to treat the pain include :

• Interventional procedures
• Medication management
• Physical therapy or chiropractic therapy
• Psychological counseling and support
• Acupuncture and other alternative therapies
• Referral to other medical specialists