08/01/2026
Do you struggle with constant pain.
Does your medication not help.
Or have you had a sudden bout of pain that brought you to your knees.
Know your pain
Executive EMS is here to help.
In our hands you are safe
TYPES OF PAIN:
🔹 1. Acute Pain
→ Pain of sudden onset
→ Short duration
→ Usually related to tissue injury, trauma, surgery, or inflammation
→ Serves a protective biological function
Examples
→ Cut, burn, fracture
→ Post-operative pain
→ Acute infection
Key Features
→ Well localized
→ Resolves with healing of underlying cause
🔹 2. Chronic Pain
→ Pain that persists for more than 3 months
→ Continues beyond normal tissue healing time
→ Often associated with long-term conditions
Examples
→ Chronic low back pain
→ Osteoarthritis
→ Rheumatoid arthritis
Key Features
→ May lose protective role
→ Often associated with psychological distress
→ Requires multidisciplinary management
🔹 3. Nociceptive Pain
→ Pain due to actual or potential tissue damage
→ Activation of nociceptors (pain receptors)
Types
→ Somatic pain – skin, muscles, joints (well localized)
→ Visceral pain – internal organs (poorly localized, dull)
Examples
→ Muscle injury
→ Inflammatory joint pain
→ Post-surgical pain
🔹 4. Neuropathic Pain
→ Pain caused by nerve damage or dysfunction
→ Originates from peripheral or central nervous system
Common Descriptions
→ Burning
→ Shooting
→ Electric shock–like
→ Tingling or numbness
Examples
→ Diabetic neuropathy
→ Post-herpetic neuralgia
→ Trigeminal neuralgia
🔹 5. Referred Pain
→ Pain perceived at a site distant from the source of pathology
→ Occurs due to shared spinal cord segments
Classic Examples
→ Cardiac ischemia → pain radiating to left arm or jaw
→ Gallbladder disease → right shoulder pain
Key Feature
→ Area of pain appears normal on examination
🔹 6. Psychogenic Pain
→ Pain influenced or amplified by psychological factors
→ No sufficient identifiable structural pathology
→ Pain perception is real, not imagined
Associated Factors
→ Anxiety
→ Depression
→ Stress disorders
Examples
→ Tension-type headache
→ Somatoform pain disorders
