Dr. Md Ehtesham

6 Bodily Pains You Must Never Ignore

Any pain in the body is an indication and demands attention. Some pains go away by themselves or by home treatment, while few need medical attention. 

Here are 6 types of pains which should never be ignored.

1. Chest Pain - Chest pain that doesn't go away and is accompanied by shortness of breath can prove to be fatal if not treated at the earliest. Do not wait for it to subside, nor should you try self medication. Consult the doctor immediately.
2. Abdominal Pain - While abdominal pain could be because of various smaller reasons, if it is unbearable, consult a doctor at the earliest. This pain could be because of ruptured appendix, stomach ulcer, problems in your pancreas or gallbladder or even intestinal blockages.
3. Severe Headache - Normally we tend to take headaches lightly, believing that all we need to do is pop a medicine or rest it out. However, if the pain is excruciating, consult the doctor as soon as possible.
4. Prolonged Backache - If you are experiencing pain in the back with tingling in your toes, this could be associated with your discs. Give it medical attention at the earliest, as it could turn fatal.
5. Lower Abdomen  - Appendicitis' indicator is sharp pain on the side. If you feel a sharp pain in your lower abdomen on the right side along with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fever, shaking, constipation and diarrhea, reach out for medical assistance as soon as possible.
6. Leg Pain - Yet another pain one should not ignore is deep vein thrombosis which is blood clots in the legs? deep veins.

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Myth 1: pain is always caused by an underlying tissue damage

Fact 1: There need not be a tissue damage for pain to occur. In majority of the cases mere postural deviations, muscle tightness, inadequate joint range and reduced neural mobility, decreased soft tissue (fascia) flexibility can cause pain.

Myth 2: Degenerative changes in the joint (as seen in the x-ray and mri) is the primary cause of pain.

Fact 2: Movement dysfunctions like loss of the intrinsic joint play movements and adverse neural tension cause most of the pain, rather than degeneration.

Myth 3: Pain should not be treated based on radiological (x-ray, mri) reports.

Fact 3: Pain should be treated based on patient history and physical assessment. Radiological or laboratory investigations should be used only to rule out any potential red flag (harmful) pathologies. Ex; tuberculosisspine, inflammatory arthropathy, fracture, dislocation etc.

Myth 4: Treatment should be given exactly in the area of pain.

Fact 4:  In most instances the cause of pain is present in an area distant to the site of actual pain and hence the treatment should focus on removing the cause of pain rather than alleviating the symptoms in the area of pain. Ex: most of the knee pain is caused by a dysfunction in low back (lumbar) and hip (pelvis) regions.

Myth 5: The painful joint should not be moved and weight should not be transferred through the joint.

Fact 5.  Normal movement within the painless range is mandatory for the recovery and graded protective loading of the affected structures is vital for the re- modeling of the collagen in the soft tissues and functional recovery.

Myth 6: Pain is a disease and hence it should be treated. 

Fact6:  Pain is only a symptom of an underlying disease or a dysfunction and hence when the cause of pain is treated pain vanishes by itself.