Millions of Americans suffer from acute and chronic pain as well as the physical and emotional symptoms that pain can cause. Pain symptoms and severity can vary substantially from one person to another, but all types of pain can be divided into two types: nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain.
Though each type can cause different symptoms and have different underlying causes, both benefit from a comprehensive program of pain management. Knowing which type of pain you have plays a critical role in helping you find the right type of treatment.
Patients at Easy Reach Chiropractic find long-term, meaningful relief for both types of pain through custom pain management plans tailored to their unique needs. In this post, Barbara Adonis, DC, and Heather Previll, PT, DPT, offer an overview of nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain, so you can gain a deeper understanding of your condition and your symptoms.
The more common of the two pain types, nociceptive pain refers to the aches and pains many of us feel from time to time or even on a daily basis. We feel nociceptive pain when nerve receptors called nociceptors detect painful stimuli and react by sending chemical signals to your brain. When the signals are received, your brain reacts by producing sensations that you experience as pain.
Nociceptive pain typically happens after an injury, like a fall, sports injury, or car accident. Stubbing your toe or coming too close to a hot stove triggers nociceptive pain, too. In these instances, nociceptive pain helps avoid additional injury by causing you to pull away or protect an injured part of your body from additional strain.
Most nociceptive pain happens at or near the site of injury, and in most instances, it tends to resolve as the area heals. Some types of nociceptive pain, like arthritis, can be progressive, worsening over time. Pain management plans focus on relieving painful symptoms while also identifying and treating the underlying cause.
Like its name implies, neuropathic pain is pain that happens as a result of nerve damage, compression, or irritation. Painful symptoms happen when the nerves that transmit pain signals are compromised in some way, altering the way they communicate pain messages to and from the brain.
Neuropathic pain can happen for different reasons, including:
Some medications and medical treatments can cause nerve-related pain, too.
Neuropathic pain frequently features symptoms like:
Pain can be persistent, sporadic, or even triggered by light touch (a condition called allodynia).
It’s important to know that nerve pain and related symptoms can occur at the site of nerve injury or anywhere along the nerve’s path, which means you may experience symptoms in your feet, hands, or limbs even though the nerve that’s injured is located somewhere else (like your back).
As a result, neuropathic pain can be especially difficult to relieve. A comprehensive pain management plan featuring chiropractic care and other therapies plays an essential role in reducing symptoms and providing long-term relief while also focusing on reducing the risk of complications, like permanent nerve damage.
Both nociceptive and neuropathic pain benefit from early pain management and ongoing therapy to stimulate healing and keep symptoms at bay. Depending on your symptoms, the type of pain you have, and other factors, your treatment plan may include treatments like:
Our team uses an individualized, patient-centered approach that often features multiple modalities to find the combination that’s most effective.
If you’re having acute or chronic pain, we can help. To learn how, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Easy Reach Chiropractic in Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, today.
