There are several different types of pain. It’s possible to experience more than one type at the same time. Identifying the type of pain may help your healthcare professional narrow down the potential causes and develop a treatment plan.
Nociceptive Pain
Nociceptive pain is caused by tissue damage such as cuts and burns. It may also result from certain health conditions that cause tissue inflammation, such as arthritis.
When nociceptive pain develops in your skin, joints, or bones, it’s known as somatic pain. When it develops in your internal organs, it’s known as visceral pain.
Nociceptive pain may be acute or chronic, depending on the underlying cause. It may feel achy, throbbing, or sharp. Nociceptive pain affects almost everyone at some point in their lifetime.
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain results from nerve damage, which can occur due to various injuries like slipped spinal discs. You may also develop neuropathic pain due to certain illnesses, such as diabetes or cancer.
A 2018 meta-analysis of more than 21,700 studies found that 6.9% to 10% of the world’s population experiences neuropathic pain. The cost to deal with neuropathic pain has increased year by year.
Neuropathic pain may feel like a stabbing, shooting, burning, or prickling sensation. You may find that you’re hypersensitive to touch, movement, or hot and cold temperatures.
Functional Pain
Functional pain is pain that’s caused by no obvious injury or damage to your body. It tends to be chronic, although acute functional pain may also develop. Examples of functional pain syndromes include:
- Fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain throughout the body
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can lead to abdominal pain
- Temporomandibular dysfunction, which produces jaw pain
- Chronic cardiac chest pain, which causes chest pain
Diagnosing Pain for a Claim for Disability
If you seek a claim for chronic pain in Boston, your healthcare professional will first do a physical examination. Be prepared to describe the pain specifically, including when it started, when it is most intense, and how intense your pain is.
Your doctor may ask you a series of personal questions. Questions may touch upon:
- how the pain affects your life
- if you have other symptoms
- if there are triggers that make the pain worse
- if you have any diagnosed health conditions
- what recent injuries or illnesses you have had
- if you have recently changed your diet or exercise routine
- if you’re taking medications
Your doctor may be able to diagnose you based on your symptoms and medical history. But they may order one or more of the following tests to check for potential causes of your pain:
- Blood tests, urine tests, stool tests, or cerebral spinal fluid analysis to check for signs of infection or other illnesses
- Endoscopy to check for signs of damage or other problems in your respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, or reproductive tract
- X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or ultrasound scan to check for signs of damage in your muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, nerves, or internal organs
- Biopsy to collect a sample of tissue for analysis
- Nerve function tests to learn how your nerves are working
- Psychological tests to check for conditions such as depression
If they can’t find any signs of underlying damage causing the pain, you might have functional pain syndrome. These syndromes are diagnosed based on symptoms after other potential causes are ruled out.
Start Receiving Disability Benefits in No Time
- Receiving disability benefits is not easy. Pain helps you respond to medical problems. But pain can also be debilitating, regardless of the kind or the cause of the pain you experience.
- You should go to a doctor if you are concerned about pain. You can receive a diagnosis and start on many different treatments.
- To apply for a Boston chronic claim for pain, you must provide medical documents to your insurer. They will use whatever means they can to deny your claim.
This means you need legal assistance. Jonathan M. Feigenbaum, Esquire serves Massachusetts residents. Contact us today.
