Pain is an uncomfortable sensation that we feel when our body perceives an injury to body tissues. It’s an important signal. When we sense pain, we pay attention to our bodies, and we can take steps to find out what is causing the pain and find help. Pain also may prevent us from injuring a body part even more.
We need the sensation of pain to let us know when our bodies need extra care.
Pain protects our bodies from harm by causing us to perform specific actions and avoid others. Pain might be called a protector, a predictor, or simply an alarm.
We all experience pain to different degrees at various points in our lives.
Pain is the most common reason patients seek medical attention.
But, each of us perceives a given pain stimulus in our unique manner. The intensity of the response to a pain stimulus is mainly subjective; meaning the severity of the pain can most accurately be defined by the person with the pain rather than by other observers.
Our pain perception can vary at different times, even in response to the identical stimulus. For example, an athlete during competition may not be able to feel the tissue injury of a cut or a bruise until the competition has finished. We may feel more or less pain depending on our mood; sleep pattern, hunger, or activity.
Our nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, which combine to form the central nervous system, and our sensory and motor nerves, which include the peripheral nervous system. Nerves send information about what is happening in our environment to the brain via the spinal cord. The brain then sends information back to our nerves, helping us to perform actions in response.
Pain shouldn’t limit your life. If you’re experiencing pain related to injury or have developed a condition that affects your daily activities and your overall quality of life. You are a candidate for pain management.