Fascinating new research on how pain gets from the affected area of the body to the brain. Countless interactions between nerves and other cells in the body create the sensory responses, including pain, that allow us to interact with the world. Researchers are cataloging the interactions, on the hunt for molecular reactions that result in the dysfunction of chronic pain.
Migraines are different from other headaches. This is a neurological condition that can cause multiple symptoms, frequently characterized by intense, debilitating headaches. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking, numbness or tingling, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines often run in families and affect all ages. The question is: when it comes to a migraine, what is acute versus what is chronic?
Trigeminal neuralgia affects 5 in every 100,000 people and occurs slightly more in women than men. Patients are usually middle age and older. Medication, injections, surgery, and radiation may be used to treat the pain. Each treatment offers benefits, but each also has limitations.
Burning hip pain is caused by a multitude of conditions like bursitis, tendinitis, a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve. Burning hip pain can feel like a sharp, searing or achy pain in the upper outer thigh. This often results from inflammation. And, if it lingers, it can be debilitating.
The cause of chronic low back pain is notoriously hard to diagnose. The spine’s intervertebral discs are the usual suspects; but, when disc-related treatments don’t help ease the pain, the root of the problem could very well be something else — the vertebral endplates. These are the cause of what is called “vertebrogenic chronic low back pain”.
The brain controls pain messages by attaching meaning to the personal and social context in which the pain is experienced. The meaning attached to the situation seems to be the important difference. In times of anxiety or stress, descending messages from the brain may actually amplify the pain signal at the nerve gate as it moves up the spinal cord. What is the connection between chronic pain, pain signals and emotional response?
Pain messages travel along the peripheral nervous system until they reach the spinal cord. There is a theory that there are “gates” on the bundle of nerve fibers in the spinal cord between the peripheral nerves and the brain. These spinal nerve gates control the flow of pain messages from the peripheral nerves to the brain. The brain also controls pain messages by attaching meaning to the personal and social context in which the pain is experienced. Many factors determine how the spinal nerve gates will manage the pain signal. These factors include the intensity of the pain message, competition from other incoming nerve messages and signals from the brain telling the spinal cord to increase or decrease the priority of the pain signal. The meaning attached to the situation seems to be the important difference. In times of anxiety or stress, descending messages from the brain may actually amplify the pain signal at the nerve gate as it moves up the spinal cord. Alternatively, impulses from the brain can “close” the nerve gate, preventing the pain signal from reaching the brain and being experienced as pain.
If you tell your doctor you are experiencing burning hip pain, they will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam. After the clinical exam is complete, you will be asked to get an image of the problem area. Multiple treatment modalities are then applied. These are a few basic treatments.
Burning hip pain can feel like a sharp, searing or achy pain in the upper outer thigh. And it can be debilitating. In fact, when left untreated, the pain can become so severe you may end up unable to walk. So what causes it?
Pain caused by neuropathy is typically described in the following terms:
Severe, sharp, electric shock-like, shooting, lightning-like, or stabbing
Deep, burning, or cold
Persistent numbness, tingling, or weakness
Pain that travels along a path into the arms, hands, legs, or feet
Skin in the area of pain can be discolored, appearing more pink or red than usual. In some cases, the skin can even have a blue or mottled appearance. What are the other physical traits of neuropathic pain?
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