What Are the Most Common Causes of Pain?

When you have a backache or sore knee, do you ever wonder what causes the pain? Chronic and even acute pain can disrupt your day. But you can help ward off future instances of pain if you know what triggers it.

Keep reading to learn about the most common causes of pain!

Injuries Are a Common Source of Pain

If you trip on icy pavement or overextend yourself playing sports, you may wind up with an injury. A scrape, deep cut, or burn can leave you with bouts of acute pain. And whether it’s cracked vertebrae or a broken arm, you’ll probably feel the impact of the injury even once it’s healed. 

Broken bones, fractures, and pulled muscles may force you to ease up your physical routine. You may also overuse other muscles to compensate, leading to additional localized pain. 

Illness Can Lead to Painful Issues

Have you had the flu or pneumonia? While chicken soup might be a soothing and tasty solution for a little while, it’s only a temporary one that might not ease your bodily pain.

Viruses and other illnesses can trigger acute pain responses, sometimes in the form of body aches or painful breathing. These are painful sensations that may be sudden and sharp, and last for a short period of time.

Cancer, as well as the accompanying treatment, can cause bodily aches that may become more persistent and long-lasting. Even if someone is in remission or cured, they still may feel chronic pain from past treatments.

Causes of Pain Include Nerve or Tissue Damage

Tissue damage caused by burns or fractures can lead to nociceptive pain. This is a common form of pain that comes and goes throughout a person’s life. Other more chronic issues, such as diabetes, can trigger it.

You can experience nerve pain on account of injuries or ailments, too. For instance, if you have a slipped disc in your spine, it may be weighing down or pinching a nerve near it. Or arthritis can lead to inflammation and sensitivity in your wrists or hands. 

Pain connected to the nervous system doesn’t end there. A pinched nerve, shingles, and carpal tunnel syndrome all come with pain and stem from nerve issues. With carpal tunnel syndrome, using your hands constantly to type documents at work can leave your hands feeling numb. 

Functional Pain Can Be Chronic

There are some instances where it’s difficult or impossible to know the source of the pain. Ailments like fibromyalgia, for instance, are ambiguous and chronic. 

Another form of functional pain is irritable bowel syndrome, which causes uncomfortable sensations in the lower abdomen. Likewise, jaw pain, migraines, or occasional chest pain may be an ongoing but not serious presence in one’s life. 

Know the Causes of Pain

When you educate yourself about the causes of pain, you may be able to mitigate them more easily. You can avoid movements that trigger the pain or seek soothing treatment. And, at the very least, you can gain understanding if you’re dealing with uncomfortable sensations.

To find more information that can enhance your knowledge base, check back for more articles.