Pain Classification

1-According to its duration

Acute pain: It is a finding (sign, symptom) that develops suddenly, sometimes with an unknown cause, and therefore requires serious medical examination. ). It can often be an early sign of some diseases. For example, the first symptom of a patient passing kidney stones may be lower back or groin pain. In acute pain, medication is usually not given until the patient's disease is diagnosed. Pain is a useful finding in these patients and should be followed until a definitive diagnosis of the current disease is made. If the patient's diagnosis is confirmed, the attending physician can relieve the patient's pain with medications or other pain management methods. Physicians from all branches can usually treat acute pain with their own treatment methods.

Pain seen after surgeries is a good example of acute pain. If postoperative pain treatment is not done effectively, these pains may turn into chronic pain. It is most commonly seen in patients who undergo inguinal hernia surgery, surgeries in which the rib cage is opened, or in patients whose foot or leg is amputated for various medical reasons (trauma, diabetes, infection). Effective pain treatment must be provided in the early postoperative period to prevent chronic pain in patients undergoing this type of surgery.

Chronic pain: It can be observed without or after any damage to the body, in which many different mechanisms are effective, lasting longer than three to six months. Since the pain in these patients continues for a long time, it seriously affects the patient's quality of life and daily working life. It is usually resistant to treatment and sometimes it is necessary to apply several methods together to relieve the pain. For example, while oral painkillers are given, conduction stopping techniques on some pain nerves, which we call interventional methods, can be applied to the patient. Chronic pain seriously affects both the person and his family psychologically, so it may be necessary to give these patients sedatives.

2-Depending on the region where it originates

Somatic pain: It is a pain that is usually seen as a result of hitting, hitting or crushing somewhere in the body. It is severe and its localization is precise.

Visceral pain: It originates from the internal organs. It is a dull pain and cannot be localized well. Reflects on surrounding areas It may. For example, pancreatic pain may spread to the back or appendicitis pain may spread to the belly.

Sympathetic pain: Pain originates from the sympathetic nervous system in our body, which is in the form of a network that acts especially on our blood vessels. For example, in patients with leg pain due to poor circulation, the main goal is to interrupt the conduction in the sympathetic nerves. Thus, both the patient's pain and the blood circulation in the relevant limb increase, the patient becomes very comfortable.

3- According to its mechanisms

Nociceptive pain: The receptors that first detect pain in the body are called nociceptors. Nociceptive pain occurs as a result of stimulation of these (heat, cut, sting, impact). For example, the pain that occurs when a needle pricks our hand or the pain that occurs when our hand is burned at high temperatures is this type of pain. It can usually be treated with medications.

Neuropathic pain: It is a type of pain in which the nerve itself generally causes the formation of the pain mechanism. Sometimes nerves can develop this type of pain as a result of trauma. For example, a patient whose leg has been amputated may develop phantom pain at the tip of the stump (feeling like he has a leg that is missing but pain anywhere in that leg) after months and years. Again, people who have had diabetes for a long time may develop very uncomfortable burning pain in their feet or hands. This type of pain is resistant to treatment and it may be necessary to apply the most appropriate alternative treatment. In other words, both medications and pain-relieving interventional methods can be applied together. Neuropathic pain is also observed in some cancer patients. The most important factor here is the compression or pressure of the nerve due to the tumor tissue.

Psychosomatic pain: The patient expresses that he/she has pain due to psychological problems. In fact, there is no organic sign of pain, but the patient states that he has pain. Often patients describe pain in the waist, back or shoulder areas. These patients must first be fully trusted. Discovering the psychological problem that causes pain can only be achieved by establishing mutual trust. A joint treatment with psychiatry is appropriate for these patients.

4- According to the region of pain

Causes of facial pain:

• Often
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Postherpetic neuralgia
• Jaw joint calcification
• Sinusitis
• Multiple sclerosis

Headache causes:

• Often
• Migraine
• Simple daily headache
• Tension-type headache
• Headache originating from the vertebrae in the neck region
• Bleeding between the skull membranes after trauma

Shoulder pain:

• Often
• Shoulder dislocation
• Calcification in the shoulder joint
• Frozen shoulder
• Shoulder area tendinitis (inflammation of tendons)

.Abdominal pain:

• Often
• Pain developing after shingles
• Persistent abdominal wall pain after previous abdominal surgeries
• Tumors or inflammation of the intra-abdominal organs (Pancreas, stomach, liver) conditions

Low back pain:

• Muscle spasms in the waist area
• Herniated disc
• Sliding in the spine
• Calcification in the intervertebral joints
• Tumors of the intra-abdominal organs (Pancreas, kidney)

Leg pain:

• Herniated disc
• Varicose veins
• Tendinitis
• Clogging of the leg vein with a clot
• In the bone inflammatory or tumoral formations

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