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The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines chronic pain as a general pain without biological value that sometimes continues even after the healing of the affected area; [8] [9] a type of pain that cannot be classified as acute pain [b] and lasts longer than expected to heal, or typically, pain that has been experienced on most days or daily for the past six months, is ...
Most pain resolves once the noxious stimulus is removed and the body has healed, but it may persist despite removal of the stimulus and apparent healing of the body. Sometimes pain arises in the absence of any detectable stimulus, damage or disease. [3] Pain is the most common reason for physician consultation in most developed countries.
[3] [4] Chronic pain is considered a syndrome because of the associated symptoms that develop in those experiencing this disorder. [5] Chronic pain affects approximately 20% of people worldwide and accounts for 15–20% of visits to a physician. [3] Pain can be categorized according to its location, cause, or the anatomical system which it affects.
Hyperalgesia (/ ˌ h aɪ p ər æ l ˈ dʒ iː z i ə / or /-s i ə /; hyper from Greek ὑπέρ (huper) 'over' + -algesia from Greek ἄλγος (algos) 'pain') is an abnormally increased sensitivity to pain, which may be caused by damage to nociceptors or peripheral nerves and can cause hypersensitivity to stimulus.
In many cases, pain levels can vary depending on circumstances, and can often be moderated to some extent by activity and mood. For example, pain symptoms may become more intense when focused on, and less intense when the person is engaged in enjoyable activities. [5] The same can be said about excessive worry.
Kehr's sign is the occurrence of acute pain in the tip of the shoulder due to the presence of blood or other irritants in the peritoneal cavity when a person is lying down and the legs are elevated. Kehr's sign in the left shoulder is considered a classic symptom of a ruptured spleen.
They are known as the "5 Ps": pain, pallor, decreased pulse, paresthesia, and paralysis. [7] Pain and paresthesia are the early symptoms of compartment syndrome. [19] [7] Common symptoms are: Pain: A person may feel pain greater than the exam findings. [7] This pain may not be relieved by strong painkillers, including opioids like morphine. [20]
Neuropathic pain is pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. [2] [3] Neuropathic pain may be associated with abnormal sensations called dysesthesia or pain from normally non-painful stimuli . It may have continuous and/or episodic components. The latter resemble stabbings or electric shocks.