What is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensation and emotional experience usually caused by tissue damage. It can be steady, throbbing, stabbing, aching, pinching, or described in many other ways. It allows the body to react to and prevent further tissue damage. People feel it when a signal travels through nerve fibers to the brain for interpretation.

It can bring about other physical symptoms, like nausea, dizziness, weakness, or drowsiness. It can cause emotional effects like anger, depression, mood swings, or irritability. Perhaps most significantly, it can change your lifestyle and impact your job, relationships and independence.

It is classified as either acute or chronic. Acute  is usually severe and short-lived and often signals that your body has been injured. Chronic can range from mild to severe, is present for long periods, and is often the result of a disease that may require ongoing treatment.