Chronic pain – whether of the back, neck, shoulders or hips – is a complex disease with countless etiologies. Hence, there are many ways one may feel and describe pain. Chronic pain management centers like Twin Cities iSpine Pain Physicians must then study these differing experiences to best diagnose and treat their patients’ symptoms. So, in honor of Pain Awareness Month, their board-certified back pain specialists have created a guide to the three most common perspectives.

The Physiological Definition

First and foremost, pain is a sensory experience, so some patients describe their symptoms using physiological terms. Following this definition, pain occurs when nociceptors register a damaging or potentially damaging stimuli and send pain signals to both your brain and spinal cord. These signals may register as burning, tingling, stabbing, or otherwise unpleasant sensation.

Nociceptors are found both in external areas like the skin and corneas as well as internal ones like muscles, joints, and the digestive tract. Naturally, the latter is the chief concern of iSpine’s back pain specialists.

The Psychological Definition

As many chronic pain management centers will attest, many experience chronic pain in the absence of actual tissue damage or a definite physical cause. Thus, a strictly physiological definition of the condition is often not enough. Instead, many also describe pain in psychological terms, focusing on its connection to one’s mental state.

After the death of a loved one, for instance, a patient may experience significant emotional trauma that manifests as chronic hip pain. Likewise, iSpine’s back pain specialists explain, one’s pre-existing back pain may restrict them from partaking in their favorite hobbies, causing them to become depressed or anxious.

The Prognostic Definition

Pain is also often described as a warning sign. If you touch a hot stove, for example, your pain receptors signal the brain, which then sends a response back to the affected area telling you to withdraw your hand.

If you have a slipped disc, on the other hand, you may feel discomfort in both your back and extremities. This pain then acts as a warning, limiting your movements, so you don’t aggravate the injury. It also encourages you to seek medical intervention from a qualified back pain specialist who can properly diagnose and treat the issue.   

How do you define chronic pain? Share your story during this year’s Pain Awareness Month by calling iSpine Pain Physicians at (763) 201-8191 today. For more on the chronic pain management center as well as the treatments they offer, visit their website.