The sensation of pain is triggered by the nervous system, usually in response to an injury or illness. The pain sensation hurts, causing discomfort, distress and perhaps agony, depending on its severity.

Pain can be felt in a different ways; it can be dull and constant, or short and sharp. Pain may be experienced in one area of the body, such as the back, leg or abdomen, or it can be felt all over, like when your muscles ache during the flu. Pain can be very useful for helping to diagnose a problem. Without pain, trauma may occur without someone even realising it.

 Alternatively, a medical condition may remain hidden without the associated pain to help identify it. Once the instigating injury or illness has been treated, the pain will usually subside. In these instances or cases, the pain can be classified as being acute.

However, sometimes pain can continue for weeks, months or even years. This is known as chronic pain. Chronic pain can be the result of a long-term condition, such as arthritis or cancer. In other cases, the cause can remain unknown. The most common types of pain include: Back pain, Haedache, Join Pain, Period Pain, Muscular Pain and Dental Pain.

If the pain is being caused by an underlying disorder, treating said disorder will also relieve the associated pain. For example, if suffering from a bacterial infection, taking the appropriate course of antibiotics should clear up the infection, which should result in the elimination of the associated pain. If the pain is moderate to severe, it may also be necessary to use analgesics (painkillers), until the underlying cause has been treated.

Analgesics are effective at relieving nociceptive pain but aren’t effective at combating neuropathic pain.