Pain – unpleasant sensation

Our nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord, Which combine to form the central nervous system, and our sensory and motor nerves, which form the peripheral nervous system. Specific nerves called nociceptors detect tissue damage and 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.
For example, touching a hot surface will send a message through a reflex are in the spinal cord and cause an immediate contraction of the muscles. This contraction will pull the hand away from the hot surface, limiting further damage.
This reflex occurs so fast that the message has not even reached the brain. However, the pain message does continue to the brain. Once it arrives, it will cause an individual to feel an unpleasant sensation-pain.
The brain’s interpretation of these signals and the efficiency of communication channel between the nociceptors and the brain dictate how an individual experiences pain.
The brain may also release feel-good chemicals, such as dopamine, to try to counter the unpleasant effects of pain.
What else can influence pain?

Our nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord, Which combine to form the central nervous system, and our sensory and motor nerves, which form the peripheral nervous system. Specific nerves called nociceptors detect tissue damage and 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.
For example, touching a hot surface will send a message through a reflex are in the spinal cord and cause an immediate contraction of the muscles. This contraction will pull the hand away from the hot surface, limiting further damage.
This reflex occurs so fast that the message has not even reached the brain. However, the pain message does continue to the brain. Once it arrives, it will cause an individual to feel an unpleasant sensation-pain.
The brain’s interpretation of these signals and the efficiency of communication channel between the nociceptors and the brain dictate how an individual experiences pain.
The brain may also release feel-good chemicals, such as dopamine, to try to counter the unpleasant effects of pain.
What else can influence pain?

Response to pain is individual, and what may be painful to one person can be only slightly uncomfortable to another. Because pain messages pass through the emotional and thinking regions of your brain, your experience of pain is shaped not just by the physical damage or sensation, but by psychological, emotional and social factors as well. Your memories of past painful experiences, genetics, long term health problems, coping strategies and attitude towards pain can contribute to how you feel pain.
What are signs you need to see a doctor for pain?
You need to make an appointment with your doctor if your pain-
• hasn’t gone away after 2-3 weeks
• is causing you stress, anxiety or depression
• stops you from exercising or participating in your normal activities
• prevents you from relaxing or sleeping
• hasn’t improved with any of the treatments you have tried
Types-

Pain can be either acute or chronic.
Acute Pain –
This type of pain is generally intense and short lived.It is how the body alerts a person to an injury or localised tissue damage.Treating the underlying injury usually resolves acute pain.
Acute pain triggers the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism, often resulting in faster heartbeats and breathing rates.
There are different types of acute pain –
•Somatic pain –
A person feels this superficial pain on the skin on the soft tissues just below the skin.
• Visceral pain –
The pain originates in the internal organs and the linings of cavities in the body.
• Referred pain –
A person feels referred pain at a location other than the source of tissue damage. For example, people often experience shoulder pain during a heart attack.
Chronic Pain –
This type of pain lasts far longer than acute pain and there is often no cure. Chronic pain can be mild or severe. It can also be either continuous, such as in arthritis, or intermittent as with migraines.Intermittent pain occurs on repeated occasions but stops in between flares.
The fight or flight reactions eventually stop people with chronic pain as the sympathetic nervous system that triggers these reactions adapts to the pain stimulus.
If enough cases of acute pain occur, they can create a build up of electrical signals in the centrel nervous system (CNS) that overstimulate the nerve fibers.
This effect is known as “windup”. It can be compared with buildup of electrical signals to a windup toy. Winding a toy with more intensity leads to the toy running faster for longer.
Chronic pain works in the same way, which is why a person may feel pain long after the event that first caused it.
Describing Pain –
There are other, more specialized ways of describing pain.
These include –
• Neuropathic pain –
This pain occurs following injury to the peripheral nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.It can feel like electric shocks or cause tenderness, numbness, tingling or discomfort.
• Phantom pain –
Phantom pain occurs after the amputation of a limb and refers to painful sensations that feels as though they are coming from the missing limb.
• Central pain –
This type of pain often occurs due to infarction, abscesses, tumors, degeneration or bleeding in the brain and spinal cord. Central pain ranges from mild to extremely painful. People with central pain report burning, aching and pressing sensations.
Diagnosis-

Pain is a very personal experience that varies from person to person.What feels very painful to one person may only feel like mild pain to another. And other factors, such as your emotional state and overall physical health, can play a big role in how you feel pain.
Describing your pain accurately can make it easier for your doctor to find the cause of your pain and recommend the right treatment.
Here are some things your doctor will want to know-
• how long you’ve had the pain
• how often your pain occurs
• what brought on your pain
• what activites or movements make your pain better or worse
• where you feel the pain
• whether your pain is localized to one spot or spread out
• if your pain comes and goes or is constant
Several systems can identify and grade pain. However, the most important factor is getting an accurate diagnosis in for the individual and the doctor to communicate as clearly as possible.
Some of the pain measures that doctors use are –
• Numerical rating scales
• Verbal descriptor scale
• Faces scale
• Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire
When people with cognitive impairments cannot accurately describe their pain, there can still be clear indicators. These include-
• restlessness
• crying
• moaning and groaning
• reduced social interactions
• increased wandering
• not eating properly
• sleeping problems
Treatment-

Doctors will treat different types of pain in different ways. A treatment that is effective against one type of pain may not relieve another.
Acute pain treatment-
Treating acute pain often involves taking medication. Often, this type of pain results from an underlying health issue and treating it may relieve the pain without the need for pain management. For example, if a bacterial infection is causing a sore throat, antibiotics can treat the infection, easing the soreness on a result.
Some medications that are used for acute pain management-
• Acetaminophen
• Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• Opioids
Chronic pain management-
A range of nondrug therapies can help relieve pain.These alternatives to medication may be more suitable for people experiencing chronic pain.
These therapies include-
• Acupuncture
• Nerve blocks
• Psychotherapy
• Relaxation therapies
• Physiotherapy
• Hot or cold packs
• Rest
Ayurvedic Perspective-
Pain-an unpleasant sensation management in Ayurveda focuses on a holistic approach to healing the body. Ayurvedic pain management runs on the belief that the body, mind and spirit balance impacts the health and wellness of a person.
To treat illness, Ayurveda focuses on a person’s five elements of air, fire, earth, space and water, which make up three energies known as doshas.The doshas include Kapha, Pitta and Vata dosha. Although each person has doshas, the combination of energies is different for everyone.
Panchkarma for pain management-

Panchkarma is the detoxification process of removing accumulated waste from the body and mind. The program lasts for either 7,14 or 21 days and includes five classical elements of treatment, Basti, Nasya, Vamana, Virechana and Raktamokshana. Panchakarma cleans the body and mind, strengthens the immune system and reduces body aches and pains.
Beneficial Herbs –
• Turmeric-

• Ginger –

• Gugglu –

• Jatamansi –

Effective Medications-
• Dashmoolarhishta
• Ajmoadi Churna
• Chandraprabha Vati
• Mahavatavidhvansan Ras
• Brahmi Vati
Yoga and Meditation –