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Welcome to Pain 101 

Your 101 pain survival guide

 

Welcome to our pain survival guide! In this page we’ve briefly summarized all you need to know about pain, by delving deeper into the causes, types, and simple home treatments. If you think anything should be added, please let us know! 

 

What is pain? 

Pain is defined as an uncomfortable sensation in the body stemming from damage to the nervous tissue and system. 

 

Causes of pain

There is a wide variety of causes of pain, the most common one being physical injury or a medical condition. In some cases however, the cause is not specific or known. 

Some common causes:

  • Headache

  • Sore throat 

  • Toothache

  • Cramps

  • Muscle strains 

  • Bruises 

  • Bone fractures 

  • Existing medical condition 

 

Now let's briefly outline the 4 main types of pain 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pain management

 

If you’ve injured your ankle, or cut your knee, chances are, your injury is minor, and can be safely treated at home. Experts from ‘healthline’ recommend following the RICE procedure (Rest, ice, compress, elevate) 

  • Rest the injured area 

  • Ice the injured area for about 10-20 minutes 

  • Compress the injured area, by wrapping in an elastic bandage tightly enough to provide support, but not tight enough to be numb 

  • Elevate the injured area 

If your symptoms don’t improve within a week of home treatment, contact a medical professional.

ACUTE PAIN

Ever fallen down the stairs or sprained your ankle during sports? These are two common examples of what we call ‘acute pain’. Acute pain is very common, and something which we all have definitely experienced before. ​​

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Nature of acute pain

  • It tends to go away after a week or month of treatment

  • The cause is quite specific and easily identifiable  

Definition: Pain which develops over a short period of time and is generally more intense but short lived. 

Causes: 

  • Injuries - cuts, burns, bone fractures, muscle injuries

  • Medical illnesses - Food poisoning, headaches, common flu 

  • Medical procedures - surgeries, injections, dental work 

Rest 

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Ice

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Compress

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Elevate

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When to seek help 

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Contact a doctor if: 

  • The injury has caused substantial damage to your body ie: broken bones, severe bleeding, head injury 

  • It interferes with your day to day activities 

  • Acute or sharp internal pain - this could be a sign of ruptured appendix or bowel perforation 

  • Pain is located in your chest, back, shoulders, neck, or jaw and accompanied by other potential signs or symptoms of a heart attack, such as pressure in your chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, cold sweats, nausea, or vomiting

Headache

Sources:  

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